Transgender woman sentenced to prison for attempted assassination of US Treasury Secretary

A federal court in Washington has sentenced 26-year-old Riley English, a transgender woman from Massachusetts, to six years and one month in prison. She was apprehended at the US Capitol in January 2025 while in possession of a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails, with the intent to assassinate US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The nearly 20 months she has already spent in custody will be credited against her sentence, followed by three years of supervised release.

Planning and Motives

According to court documents, English spent about two months planning the trip, taking steps to avoid leaving a digital footprint by purchasing a road atlas with cash and leaving her mobile phone behind. Initially, she considered targeting other senior Republicans, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, or setting fire to the Heritage Foundation headquarters. However, after seeing news regarding Bessent's confirmation process, she decided to make him her target.

During interrogation, English admitted she was "angered" by Bessent's comments on the federal minimum wage. Upon arriving at the Capitol on January 27, 2025, she spent over an hour scouting the complex, acknowledging that reaching her target would likely require killing "at least" three Capitol Police officers.

Arrest and Legal Proceedings

At approximately 3:12 PM, English voluntarily approached a police officer at the southern entrance and surrendered, disclosing the weapons in her possession. A search revealed a folding knife and two small vodka bottles rigged with alcohol-soaked fabric. Judge Rudolph Contreras noted that the plot's chances of success were "extremely low" and that the improvised devices were likely incapable of igniting.

English stated she was influenced by the case of Luigi Mangione, who shot and killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in December 2024. The defense argued that English was in the midst of a severe mental health crisis, driven by fears regarding the future of transgender people under the second Trump administration.

As part of a plea deal, the prosecution dropped the attempted assassination charge. English pleaded guilty to two weapons offenses: illegal possession of a destructive device and carrying a dangerous weapon on Capitol grounds. In a letter to the court, Bessent warned that such acts of political violence undermine the rule of law and discourage talented individuals from serving in public office.