Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, got into an explosive argument last week — with threats of physical violence involved, The Post has confirmed.
Two sources say that Bessent, 63, threatened to beat up Pulte, 37, for allegedly trash-talking him to President Trump, two sources said.
At one point, the Treasury chief lashed out at Pulte, saying: “Why the f— are you talking to the president about me? F— you.”
“I’m gonna punch you in your f—ing face,” added Bessent.
Pulte’s response was not immediately clear.
The shouting match was first reported by Politico and broke out at the Executive Branch social club in DC’s Georgetown neighborhood.
The club was co-founded by banker Omeed Malik and first son Donald Trump Jr.
It’s not the first time Bessent has threatened to get physical with another Trump official.
In April, the Treasury secretary hit billionaire Elon Musk after the then-Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader reportedly body-checked Bessent outside the Oval Office.
The two got into a spat over dueling candidates to serve as the acting head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Musk was pushing for IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, who later got the job, whereas Bessent’s choice was Michael Faulkender.
As the two began to exit, Bessent confronted Musk and began labeling him a “fraud,” according to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, before the shouting match got ugly and the Tesla and Space X CEO lowered his shoulder at the Treasury secretary “like a rugby player.”
Bessent later told Congress that claims he called Musk a fraud were “fake news,” though he did not address whether it came to blows.
The Treasury secretary’s candidate, Michael Faulkender, later served just five months as head of the IRS after Bessent ousted Shapley to install his pick.
Pulte and Bessent have some overlapping duties — including plans to privatize the federal mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — and have also expressed differing opinions about Trump administration staffing decisions.
Bessent has reportedly advised the president not to fire Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, whereas Pulte as head of the FHFA has been on a crusade to clean house of members — including most recently Board of Governors member Lisa Cook.