Two of President Donald Trump’s top economic officials — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte — almost came to blows last week, a source familiar with the altercation told CNN.
Bessent threatened to punch Pulte in the face during a dinner at Executive Club, an exclusive MAGA-aligned group started by some of Trump’s closest advisers, according to the source. Bessent accused Pulte of talking negatively about him to Trump, the source said, which quickly escalated as Bessent cursed at Pulte.
The fight was ultimately broken up by a club co-founder, the source said, as Bessent pushed Pulte to “take the matter outside.” Both men stayed for the dinner, though they were seated away from each other. Several Cabinet secretaries attended the dinner.
Politico first reported the altercation. CNN has reached out to Bessent’s and Pulte’s offices for comment. The White House declined to comment.
Pulte’s stock with the president has risen in recent weeks as he’s taken on Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor that Pulte accused of committing mortgage fraud. Trump responded to the allegations last month by firing Cook, who responded by suing the administration and arguing Trump has no right to remove her. The president has sought to change the makeup of the Fed’s Board of Governors as he aggressively pressures members to lower interest rates.
This is not the first time Bessent has been in a fight with another Trump adviser. Earlier this year, Bessent got into a shouting match with now-former White House adviser Elon Musk over who would lead the IRS, multiple sources told CNN.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and Kit Maher contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
