Treasury Secretary Candidates if Trump Wins... "Paulson, Dimon, Lighthizer Considered"

Finance Minister Emphasizes Wall Street Experience as Key Qualification
Major Wall Street Players and Former Officials Considered

'John Paulson, Jamie Dimon, Robert Lighthizer, ...'

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 1st (local time), if former President Donald Trump, confirmed as the Republican candidate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election this November, wins the next election, Wall Street moguls and former Washington D.C. officials are being mentioned as candidates for Treasury Secretary.

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According to WSJ, Trump and his close aides consider Wall Street financial experience as a key qualification for the Treasury Secretary.

One of the candidates mentioned for Treasury Secretary if a second Trump term becomes a reality is hedge fund manager John Paulson. Earlier this year during a campaign rally in New Hampshire, former President Trump called John Paulson a "money machine," saying, "He is making money wherever he goes. Maybe we can put him in the Treasury Department."

Paulson predicted the 2008 global financial crisis and earned $20 billion in a short period. He supported former President Trump in the 2016 election and will host a fundraising event for Trump on the 6th in Palm Beach, Florida.

Scott Bessent, who served as Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at Soros Fund Management, founded by Wall Street billionaire George Soros, is also being mentioned as a candidate for Treasury Secretary. He supported former President Trump in 2016 but distanced himself from him during the 2020 election. However, in a recent TV interview, he praised Trump and is reportedly beginning to show interest as one of the candidates for the next cabinet that Trump will form. WSJ reported that Trump discussed the possibility of Bessent working in the next administration if elected.

Additionally, Robert Lighthizer, former U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) who drafted Trump’s trade policies, Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and Jamie Dimon, Chairman of JP Morgan, are also being considered for Treasury Secretary. Dimon previously praised Trump’s economic, immigration, and China policies in an interview earlier this year.

However, Lighthizer is evaluated as lacking the economic policy experience necessary to manage the Treasury Department, and there are speculations that Dimon would decline the Treasury Secretary position. WSJ reported that Trump considered Dimon for Treasury Secretary in 2016, but Dimon was not very interested.

A close aide to Dimon said, "It is unlikely that Dimon would accept the Treasury Secretary position in the Trump administration," adding, "(His interview remarks) were simply to emphasize that Trump supporters and their views should not be ignored."

Meanwhile, Paulson will host a fundraising event for former President Trump on the 6th in Palm Beach, Florida. More than 30 co-chairs, including Bessent, have signed on, and they plan to donate between $250,000 and $814,600 each. Trump is expected to raise $33 million through this event.