Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is lobbying on behalf of investor Scott Bessent, a fellow native of the Palmetto State who served as the Trump campaign's economic adviser and frequently acted as a surrogate for the campaign on financial networks, to become the next Treasury secretary.
"I think he'd be outstanding. He's from South Carolina. I know him well. He's highly qualified," Graham said in an interview with Semafor. "I think he's been well vetted."
Graham added that he and his fellow South Carolina Republican senator, Tim Scott, both hold a "good opinion" of Bessent.
President-elect Donald Trump previously called Bessent "one of the most brilliant men on Wall Street." He is widely seen as one of two top contenders for the post, the other being Trump transition team co-chair Howard Lutnick, the chair and CEO of investment banking firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
Bessent has made several moves in the past week that could earn Trump's favor. He published an opinion piece on Friday supporting Trump's plans to impose tariffs, which he called "a means to finally stand up for Americans." The day before, he appeared on "Fox & Friends" to promise that Trump would bring a "gold age" for the U.S. economy.
"Everyone asks me: 'What do you tell President Trump he should do?' I don't have to tell Donald Trump he should do anything. He's done it. We had a great economy under Trump," Bessent said during his appearance on Fox, adding that it "was one of the greatest periods of U.S. history."