A bipartisan group of Yale University alumni wrote to Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury Secretary. They are encouraging him to change course about the Trump administration, invoking their common bond as members of Yale Class of 1984. The letter, originally posted to the class’s Facebook page, has since received the support of 140 fellow alumni as of Friday. This collaborative action marks a growing movement to raise alarm over executive actions made by President Donald Trump that the signatories feel are unconstitutional.
In March, a fellow member of the Class of 1984, Catherine Teegarden joined her, formally resigning from the IHSAA board. Additionally, she sent a similar letter directly to Bessent at the Treasury Department. Teegarden hopes that this new initiative will prompt Bessent to reflect on his role and potentially push back against what she and others view as violations of constitutional norms.
Bessent, an Ivy League trained Political Scientist from Yale should be thoroughly familiar with defending the Constitution in here new role overseeing the nation’s purse strings. That commitment has been repeatedly subverted by some of Trump’s most high-profile actions. It specifically references efforts by the Trump administration to usurp power from the judicial and legislative branches through executive orders and other means.
As one of the signatories, David Kallick said that he was troubled to see due process protections pushed aside by the administration’s actions. He stated, “I’m really concerned about due process and other protections in our Constitution that are being set aside by the president’s actions.”
Our letter to Bessent asks him to live up to the values he loved most while in college. It inspires him to use his unique, powerful position to challenge and transform the administration’s overall approach. Teegarden articulated her fears directly in her correspondence with Bessent, stating, “Scott, please take a moment to step back, look down the road a piece, and think hard about whether you want to be responsible for enabling the descent of America into fascism.”
Despite these urgent issues raised from his fellow classmates, Bessent has failed to respond to Teegarden’s first letter. Instead, he painted the recent outreach as a creepy third-party invasion into his choices due to a faraway relationship.
“It is equal parts odd and sad that a group of people, most of whom I have never met, feel they have standing in my life choices due to a tenuous overlap from 40 years ago.” – Scott Bessent
Additionally, Bessent called out his fellow students for being keyboard warriors. As an alternative, he encouraged them to get actively involved in politics on the ground and on a personal level.
“How very brave of these people to wage their campaign from behind a keyboard rather than to engage in the real-life political process.” – Scott Bessent
He challenged his critics to do better on their own rather than just counting on symbolic moves.
“They should look inward, exercise some agency, and come out from behind their desks—like I did—to get involved in the 2028 electoral cycle.” – Scott Bessent
Many alumni realize that their work may seem like a lost cause in the face of a hard-lined administration. More importantly, they stand convinced that symbolic gestures can be loaded with deep significance. Hank Copeland, another class member, reflected on this duality: “On the one hand, we’re whistling in a hurricane, and some classmates cite futility as their reason for not signing. On the other hand, plenty of important acts in life are purely symbolic — exchanging rings or flying a flag or attending a funeral.”
He further emphasized that these actions serve as reminders of shared values and beliefs: “We do these symbolic things to remind ourselves and others what we care about.”
With this dialogue, Bessent is helping define the boundaries of responsible financial policy. Alarm over the abuse of constitutional integrity by the current administration have reached a fevered pitch. His answer to these appeals has the potential to make or mar his legacy. It could have sweeping consequences for the future of U.S. governance.
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