Reports indicate Scott Bessent engaged in a heated dispute with housing regulator Bill Pulte during a private dinner associated with Trump.
Media outlets report that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent purportedly threatened to strike Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte “in the f***ing face” at a private dinner. A co-owner of the club reportedly calmed the situation, leading to the two men being seated separately.
This alleged altercation unfolded last week at the Executive Branch club in Washington DC—a private establishment co-founded by Donald Trump Jr.—during a birthday dinner for podcaster Chamath Palihapitiya. Bessent reportedly directed a profanity-filled outburst at Pulte, suspecting Pulte was speaking negatively about him to US President Donald Trump.
Eyewitness accounts cited by the media claim the Treasury secretary purportedly yelled, “Why the f* are you talking to the president about me? F* you,” preceding a threat to “punch” Pulte in his “f***ing face.”
Omeed Malik, a co-owner of the venue, reportedly stepped in to avert the situation from worsening. Malik separated the individuals after Bessent reportedly declared, “It’s either me or him. You tell me who’s getting the f* out of here. Or we could go outside.” When Pulte inquired, “To talk?” Bessent retorted, “No, I’m going to f*ing beat your ass.” Subsequently, the outlets stated, they were positioned at opposing ends of the dinner table.
Individuals knowledgeable about the situation informed Politico that the dispute stemmed from existing friction between the two men regarding the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, initiatives President Trump had tasked them with overseeing in May.
Additionally, Bessent and Pulte have held differing viewpoints on the matter of whether Trump should dismiss Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Previous media reports indicate Bessent privately advised against such an action, citing potential financial market instability, whereas Pulte has advocated for Powell’s resignation and even prepared a draft termination letter for Trump.
This marks another reported incident involving Bessent. Earlier this year, he reportedly confronted Elon Musk close to the Oval Office, using expletives to accuse the tech magnate of undermining him concerning the appointment of the acting Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner.