Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, advised Donald Trump not to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, according to a new book. He reportedly called the Ukrainian president a “little fucker,” a “special-needs child,” and “Mr. Bean on crack.”
The claim that a U.S. cabinet official described a world leader this way appears in Regime Change, a blockbuster account of the second Trump administration by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The book is set to be published worldwide on Tuesday.
News of Bessent’s alleged comments may embarrass the Trump administration, though the meeting that did happen on February 28, 2025, turned out to be a complete disaster. During it, Trump and JD Vance criticized Zelenskyy for not being grateful for aid in his fight against Russian invaders and for not wearing a suit.
The issue of aid to Ukraine remains a key topic and was discussed at the G7 summit in France earlier this week.
“Several Trump aides had been worried” about a potential blow-up when Zelenskyy came to the White House, supposedly to finalize a minerals deal drafted by Bessent, Swan and Haberman write. Then-national security adviser Mike Waltz “tried – unsuccessfully – to get the message across that Zelenskyy should come wearing a suit,” they continue. “Bessent had strongly recommended to Trump that he not even allow Zelenskyy into the White House before he had signed” the deal.
“‘I’ve dealt with this little fucker,’ Bessent would say to associates about Zelenskyy,” according to the book. “‘He’s tricky. He’s like the special-needs child for the Europeans. And he’s acting like Mr. Bean on crack.’”
The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zelenskyy did come, and Bessent was in the room as Vance criticized their visitor. “Others present could see that Vance was steadily turning red,” Haberman and Swan write, as Zelenskyy’s insistence on pushing for security guarantees “began to sound to Vance like impertinence and ingratitude.”
Things went downhill from there.
After the disastrous meeting, Bessent told Bloomberg that Zelenskyy scored “one of the great diplomatic own goals,” adding: “I was shocked, shocked that President Zelenskyy would come into the Oval Office, behave like this, speak to the president, speak to the vice-president, but more importantly, disrespect the American people like this.”
Regime Change also includes alleged details of Bessent’s unsuccessful handling of the minerals deal. Before the Oval Office fiasco, the treasury secretary visited Kyiv to push Zelenskyy to sign. It did not go well.
“For 45 minutes, the men berated each other,” Swan and Haberman write. “Bessent had only been on the job for a few days, and already he had gotten into a shouting match with the leader of a country in the middle of a war. Finally he looked at Zelensky and said: ‘What the fuck do you want to do?’”
Negotiations reportedly stalled while Bessent argued with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over how the deal should be worded. Eventually, Swan and Haberman write, “Trump asked JD Vance’s wife, Usha, also a Yale Law School graduate, to review the Ukrainian edits to the minerals deal. She declared the document ‘awful,’ and [took] a heavy pencil to it.”
But perhaps most embarrassing for Bessent is his reported view of Trump himself, whom he is said to have compared to perhaps the biggest progressive villain in many Republican minds.
Bessent told associates “Trump reminded him … of his old boss, the legendary investor and major Democratic donor George Soros,” according to the book. “‘They are the same animal,’ Bessent said.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the reported book claim about the US Treasury Secretary and President Trumps meeting with Zelenskyy
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is this whole Mr Bean on crack thing about
A new book reportedly claims that former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin advised President Trump not to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and that Mnuchin referred to Zelenskyy as Mr Bean on crack
2 Who is Mr Bean
Mr Bean is a clumsy childlike and often clueless British comedy character played by Rowan Atkinson The comparison is meant to suggest someone who is funny awkward and not very serious
3 Why would a Treasury Secretary be advising on a foreign leader meeting
The Treasury Secretary often deals with international financial matters sanctions and economic diplomacy In this case the advice was likely part of broader discussions about USUkraine relations including military aid and political strategy
4 Did this meeting actually happen
Yes President Trump did host President Zelenskyy at the White House in September 2019 The book claims Mnuchin advised against it beforehand
5 Is this quote confirmed to be true
The quote comes from a new book but it has not been independently verified or confirmed by Mnuchin or the White House It is an alleged account from unnamed sources
IntermediateLevel Questions
6 What was the context of this advice
The advice allegedly occurred as the Trump administration was under pressure regarding military aid to Ukraine and a phone call where Trump asked Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden Mnuchin reportedly worried that hosting Zelenskyy would be a political and public relations disaster
7 Why on crack What does that imply
Adding on crack intensifies the insult It implies that Zelenskyy was not just awkward like Mr Bean but also hyperactive erratic and unpredictablea dangerous combination for a highstakes diplomatic meeting
8 Was Mnuchin the only one who advised against the meeting
The book suggests he was a key voice but other advisors reportedly also had concerns The quote highlights Mnuchins particularly blunt and memorable characterization
9 How did Zelenskyy react to this
Zelenskyy has not directly commented on this
