Capitol police have arrested a Massachusetts man who allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. armed with Molotov cocktails and a knife to kill newly-confirmed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Ryan Michael “Reily” English turned himself in to law enforcement on Monday morning and admitted his plans to commit murder, according to CNBC.
Ryan Michael “Reily” English, who turned himself in to U.S. Capitol Police at 3:12 p.m. ET Monday, said he traveled to Washington, D.C., initially planning to kill Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., a police affidavit revealed.
But English shifted his target to Bessent after stopping at a library in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and reading that the Senate was voting Monday on his nomination as President Donald Trump’s Treasury chief, the document says.
English allegedly planned to murder Bessent by tossing the Molotov cocktail at his feet, the affidavit said. He also wanted to stab the treasury secretary if he was able to get close enough to him.
BREAKING: Man arrested Monday after carrying knives and Molotov cocktails to the U.S. Capitol told police he intended to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, Pete Hegseth and Scott Bessent.
— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) January 28, 2025
Ryan English turned himself in to Capitol Police, admitting he was carrying knives and two…
ABC News reported that the suspect allegedly approached officers outside of the Capitol and said, “I’d like to turn myself in,” and informed them that he was carrying the weapons he intended to use in the crime.
Authorities found a folding knife, a lighter, and two bottles of vodka with cloths stuffed into them after searching English.
The suspect faces charges related to carrying dangerous weapons on Capitol grounds. Court filings suggest that English had considered committing “suicide by cop” when he realized he would not be able to get close enough to Bessent to carry out his attack, Politico reported.
Bessent was confirmed with a 68-29 vote without the fireworks that marked some of President Donald Trump’s nominees. The new secretary has been critical of Bishop Mariann Budde, who used the inaugural prayer service to lecture Trump and his supporters about how to treat marginalized people.
On the campaign trail, President Trump survived two efforts to assassinate him. The first occurred at a rally in Pennsylvania where a lone gunman shot the president in the ear. The second occurred at a golf course where Trump was playing. Secret Service and law enforcement agents apprehended an individual who was lying in wait on the premises with a rifle, hoping to get a shot at Trump.
This development comes amid heightened concerns over politically motivated violence. A poll conducted in October 2024 showed that 73 percent of Americans are “very worried about political violence,” according to The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
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