A private dinner at Washington's ultra-exclusive Executive Branch club turned chaotic Wednesday night after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly went into a profanity-laced tirade at the Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte.
Bessent Reportedly Threatened Pulte
In an event that marked the club’s inauguration, along with the birthday celebration of podcaster and venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, according to a Politico report.
The high-profile guest list at the event included Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Medicare chief Mehmet Oz, among several others.
According to eyewitnesses at the event, the confrontation escalated quickly, prompting the club’s co-owner, Omeed Malik, to intervene.
Malik then separated the two and walked Bessent away to de-escalate. They were later seated at opposite ends of the table for dinner, which proceeded without further incident. Bessent accused Pulte of badmouthing him to President Donald Trump before threatening violence directed at the housing finance chief.
Trump administration insiders referred to the clash as “bonkers” and “unhinged,” while neither the White House nor the offices of Bessent, Malik, or Pulte have immediately responded to Benzinga’s requests for a comment on this matter. This story will be updated as soon as we hear back.
Physical Altercations In The Trump Administration
On Monday, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO and former Trump Administration official, Elon Musk, shared the report on X.
Musk reportedly engaged in a physical altercation with Bessent, it was reported in June. Former White House official Steven Bannon said at the time that the argument turned physical when Musk shoulder-checked Bessent.
Both Bessent and Pulte have been on opposite sides of the debate on whether to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, with Bessent cautioning against such a move, saying that it could destabilize the financial markets. Pulte, on the other hand, has repeatedly called for Powell’s resignation, accusing him of “hurting the housing market.”
This comes amid growing concerns of American credibility taking a hit, with one of Trump’s billionaire backers, Ken Griffin, warning that “The U.S. built its economic credibility slowly over a long time. Once lost, it won’t be easy to regain.”
Photo Courtesy: Maxim Elramsisy On Shutterstock.com
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