Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said to a Senate committee Wednesday that he once told Bill Pulte he was "going to kick his ass" [1].
The exchange highlights the interpersonal dynamics within the administration's top ranks, as Pulte serves as President Trump's pick for acting director of national intelligence.
Bessent provided the clarification during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2026 [2]. The moment occurred after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) asked Bessent if he had threatened to punch Pulte during a previous encounter [1].
"No, sir. I actually said I was going to kick his ass," Bessent said [1].
Bessent said that the original comment was made in the summer of 2025 [1]. The Treasury Secretary sought to set the record straight regarding the specific nature of the remark, distinguishing between a punch and the phrase he actually used [3].
Sen. Tillis said, "I share the emotion" [1].
The hearing focused on the Treasury Secretary's duties, but the brief diversion into the 2025 incident drew attention to the temperament of officials within the executive branch. Bessent reiterated his phrasing during the testimony, confirming again that he told Pulte he was going to kick his ass [3].
“"No, sir. I actually said I was going to kick his ass."”
The public correction of a threat—even one framed as colloquial or emotional—during a formal Senate Finance Committee hearing underscores the volatile personal relationships that can exist among high-level political appointees. While the remark was dismissed with humor by Sen. Tillis, the admission of a confrontational exchange between the Treasury Secretary and the acting director of national intelligence provides a glimpse into the internal frictions of the administration's leadership.
