A private dinner meant to showcase unity among Trump administration insiders reportedly turned into a spectacle of discord after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to assault Housing Finance chief Bill Pulte in a heated exchange witnessed by dozens of guests.
The confrontation erupted at the Executive Branch club in Georgetown during cocktail hour, where Trump allies had gathered for a podcaster’s birthday celebration and the club’s inaugural dinner, according to Politico.
Instead of camaraderie, attendees saw a simmering feud within the president’s economic team burst into public view.
Witnesses said Bessent lashed out after learning that Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, had allegedly criticized him directly to President Donald Trump. Pulte, they said, appeared caught off guard by the verbal barrage.
“Why the fck are you talking to the president about me? Fck you,” Bessent shouted, according to accounts shared with Politico. He then escalated further: “I’m gonna punch you in your f*cking face.”
The exchange quickly drew the attention of financier Omeed Malik, who stepped in to defuse the situation. But Bessent continued, reportedly giving Malik an ultimatum. “It’s either me or him. You tell me who’s getting the f*ck out of here. Or we could go outside,” Bessent said.
“To do what?” Pulte asked. “To talk?”
“No,” Bessent replied. “I’m going to f*cking beat your ass.”
At least five witnesses relayed a consistent version of the outburst, though they disagreed on who initiated the conversation, Politico reported. Neither Bessent, Pulte, nor the White House responded to requests for comment.
The episode highlighted the intense personal rivalries within Trump’s orbit, even as the administration seeks to project cohesion on issues ranging from economic policy to housing reform.
Allies of the president have long acknowledged that the competitive atmosphere he fosters can lead to friction. Still, the spectacle of two senior officials nearly coming to blows underscored how far tensions can spill into public view.
The clash also raised questions about the dynamic between Bessent and Pulte, both key players in shaping Trump’s economic agenda.
As Treasury Secretary, Bessent has spearheaded the administration’s aggressive use of tariffs and its plans to apply tariff revenue toward reducing the national debt.
Pulte, meanwhile, oversees housing finance at a time when home affordability remains a pressing concern for millions of Americans.
This was not the first time Bessent’s temper drew notice. In May, The Atlantic reported that he had unleashed a similar profanity-laced tirade against tech mogul Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, in an episode that echoed through the West Wing.
Yet for all the profanity and threats, some supporters argued the confrontation reflected a kind of passion absent from Washington’s cautious establishment culture.
Rather than scripted platitudes, Trump’s circle has often been defined by unfiltered exchanges — and by a willingness to air disputes directly, however uncomfortable the setting.
Whether the feud between Bessent and Pulte cools or escalates further remains unclear. But the Georgetown dinner served as a reminder that Trump’s inner circle, while united by loyalty to the president, remains combustible — and prone to clashes that could complicate the administration’s efforts to present a united front.
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