Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he threatened to kick Bill Pulte during a dinner party dispute that occurred last summer [1].
The incident highlights internal friction within the administration's top ranks, involving the Treasury Secretary and the acting Director of National Intelligence pick [1].
Bessent discussed the confrontation during an interview on Wednesday. He said a disagreement took place during a dinner event, which reportedly centered on Pulte's appointment as the acting head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence [2].
During the encounter, the situation escalated to a point Bessent described as a near-fisticuff [2]. Bessent said, "I was going to kick his a**" [2].
Other reports of the exchange mirror this phrasing, with Bessent saying he told Pulte he was going to "kick his a--" [1], [3].
Despite the aggressive nature of the confrontation, Bessent later downplayed the feud. He said he called Pulte to congratulate him on his new role [1].
Bessent is the current Treasury Secretary, while Pulte serves as the Federal Housing Finance Agency Director and the acting DNI pick [1].
“"I was going to kick his a**."”
The admission of a near-physical confrontation between two high-ranking officials suggests a volatile interpersonal dynamic at the top of the U.S. government. While Bessent characterized the resolution as a professional congratulatory call, the public acknowledgment of such a clash reveals potential instability in the coordination between the Treasury and the intelligence community.
