# Act on Unlawful Conduct Not Beliefs or Ideologies by Scott Bessent > "In the fight against domestic terrorism, we must respect the constitutional rights, freedom of speech, association, and assembly of all Americans. ... Treasury will act based on suspected unlawful conduct by these terror organizations, not because of their beliefs or ideologies." > **— Scott Bessent**, *Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026* ## Sources and Context - **Source dossier:** [[research/Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism|Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism]]. - **Direct publication or recording:** [direct transcript](https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/07/remarks-at-the-opening-of-the-ministerial-on-the-resurgence-of-political-terrorism/). - **Editorial form:** The readable quotation retains visible brackets and/or an ellipsis for source-supported clarification or omission. The candidate map below records the exact treatment. - **Context and treatment:** Bessent names the constitutional protections, unlawful conduct as the enforcement predicate, and beliefs or ideology as an excluded basis. The ellipsis removes only a transition; [direct transcript](https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/07/remarks-at-the-opening-of-the-ministerial-on-the-resurgence-of-political-terrorism/), Bessent remarks. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Environment|Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Environment]] - **Collection:** [[collections/American|American Culture Collection]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Coming Market for Civilian Spycraft|The Coming Market for Civilian Spycraft]] - **Article:** [[articles/Reframing Antisemitism as a National Security Threat|Reframing Antisemitism as a National Security Threat]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Scott Bessent|Scott Bessent]] - [[wiki/Constitutional Power|Constitutional Power]] - [[wiki/Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism|Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism]] ## Share on Social Media ``` "In the fight against domestic terrorism, we must respect the constitutional rights, freedom of speech, association, and assembly of all Americans. ... Treasury will act based on suspected unlawful conduct by these terror organizations, not because of their beliefs or ideologies." — Scott Bessent, Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism, July 16, 2026 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-scott-bessent-act-on-unlawful-conduct-not-beliefs-or-ideologies ```