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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed his past clash with Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s newly tapped acting intelligence chief, after senators pressed him Wednesday over reports that he once threatened to punch him at a dinner party.
“Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch them in the face,” asked North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday, referencing reports from 2025 that Bessent threatened Pulte during a dinner.
“No sir, I actually said I was going to kick his ass,” the secretary quipped.
The exchange during the Treasury’s budget hearing renewed scrutiny of earlier reports detailing a clash between the two men, coming just days after Trump announced that the Federal Housing Finance Agency director would take on one of the government’s most sensitive national security responsibilities.
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Reports at the time found that Bessent allegedly accused Pulte of undermining him with the president and threatened to punch him in the face while at a dinner in September. But as senators pressed him about Pulte’s elevation to acting director, Bessent downplayed the flared tempers and revealed that he called Tuesday to congratulate him.
“Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,” responded Bessent when asked if he was comfortable with Pulte’s appointment.
When asked at the time about the alleged dinner quarrel, Bessent commented in September that it is not unprecedented to have Cabinet members to have physical altercations.
“Treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling,” Bessent said in a CNBC interview.
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Trump tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she would step down last month to support her husband following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.
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Pulte will remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the new post.
Bessent also made headlines in April 2025 for an alleged face-to-face with SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk.
The two men reportedly entered into a shouting match while in the West Wing over who would lead the IRS, Axios reported at the time.
Democratic lawmakers have expressed their disagreement with the Pulte pick, calling his qualifications into question.
“Trump’s appointments of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence appears to have been a hastily considered backroom deal based on loyalty to Trump, not the security of our nation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“What exactly are Bill Pulte qualifications? Does he have a national security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
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He added, “What qualifies Bill Pulte to hold one of the most important national security positions for the United States of America? One thing, apparently, that Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department and DNI for comment.
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