'I'm Gonna Punch You in Your F--king Face': Scott Bessent Threatens an Administration Rival

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

A private dinner attended by dozens of administration officials and close advisers to President Donald Trump was temporarily marred by a dramatic clash between two of Trump’s top economic officials, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at one point threatening to punch top housing finance official Bill Pulte “in the fucking face.”

The Wednesday evening event was supposed to be one of celebration: It was both the much-anticipated inaugural dinner at Executive Branch, the ultra-exclusive Georgetown club created by and for Trump world’s uberrich, and a birthday party for MAGA-friendly podcaster Chamath Palihapitiya.

-snip-

But amid the cocktail-hour din, Bessent lashed out at Pulte in an expletive-laden diatribe. The Treasury secretary had heard from several people that the Federal Housing Finance Agency director had been badmouthing him to Trump, a person close to him said. He wasn’t about to engage in chit-chat as if nothing was amiss.

“Why the fuck are you talking to the president about me? Fuck you,” Bessent told Pulte. “I’m gonna punch you in your fucking face.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/m-gonna-punch-f-ing-095500774.html

In a perfect world they'd kill each other. Wonder if Bessent had one too many.

[Ars Longa]

1. Let the Back-Stabbing and Finger-Pointing continue!! n/t

[bluesbassman]

2. When lying and gaslighting fail, resort to violence.

It’s the MAGAt way.

[Abolishinist]

3. Wowzer. Reading what you posted is bad enough, yet it gets even worse.

Pulte appeared stunned, and the tense encounter prompted club co-owner and financier Omeed Malik to intervene, according to the three people. But Bessent wasn’t having it — he sought to get him kicked out, the eyewitness said.

“It’s either me or him,” Bessent said to Malik. “You tell me who’s getting the fuck out of here.”

“Or,” he added, “we could go outside.”

“To do what?” asked Pulte. “To talk?”

“No,” Bessent replied. “I’m going to fucking beat your ass.”

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. "A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair"

Trump would consider a fist fight to be the highlight of his party. As long as he is not on the receiving end of that fist.

[Ilsa]

7. Krasnov and Malignia would love to host a red wedding! nt

Let the slaying begin!

[Cha]

5. Bessent sounds drunk,, Not that I

disapprove of Traitor puppets brawling.

[Ping Tung]

6. He broke the law and should be arrested and tried.

https://www.lawinfo.com/resources/criminal-defense/legal-implications-of-criminal-threats-and-intimidation.html

Legal Implications of Criminal Threats and Intimidation

Assault: Assault is when someone causes another person to fear that they will be physically harmed. Physical contact is not necessary to prove assault; a threat is enough to prove assault.
Menacing: Menacing is a crime with which people are charged when they intentionally cause someone to fear for their physical safety.
Harassment: Harassment is conduct involving any communications (phone call, email, voicemail, text messages, etc.), in-person stalking, or any other persistent and repeated actions meant to intimidate someone over an extended period.

[cloudbase]

8. That could be the undercard for the UFC fight at the WH.

[bottomofthehill]

9. exactly what I was thinking

[SWBTATTReg]

10. What the hell? Are these two still five years old?

Pathetic...

[DET]

11. Weird

Bessent comes across to me as the definition of ‘effete’. I’m sure that this happened, but I just can’t envision it.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

12. MaddowBlog-The reported conflict between Scott Bessent and Bill Pulte adds to the Team Trump schisms

Donald Trump has claimed prominent members of his team “get along with each other” and “love each other.” There’s overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Trump recently said a key difference between his first and second terms is that members of his team “get along with each other” and “love each other.”

With Bessent threatening to punch Bill Pulte “in the f---ing face,” the boast appears hilariously untrue. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-09-09T16:31:41.469Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/reported-conflict-scott-bessent-bill-pulte-adds-team-trump-schisms-rcna230069

A couple of months ago, Donald Trump sat down with Fox News’ Lara Trump (his daughter-in-law) and reflected on one of the key differences between his first and second terms. “We have really good people this time, and they get along with each other,” the president said, adding, “They love each other ... and it’s smoother. I think it’s smoother.”

Perhaps the Republican was confusing his team for some other administration — because there’s all kinds of evidence that contradicts the idea that prominent members of his team “get along with each other” and “love each other.” Politico reported:

A private dinner attended by dozens of administration officials and close advisers to President Donald Trump was temporarily marred by a dramatic clash between two of Trump’s top economic officials, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at one point threatening to punch top housing finance official Bill Pulte ‘in the f---ing face.’

.....One Trump insider told Politico the confrontation was “bonkers,” and another called the developments “unhinged.” (None of the relevant individuals commented on the record.)....

Those schisms came on the heels of Elon Musk and Bessent getting into a heated shouting match at the White House. Meanwhile, Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick have been at odds with White House trade adviser Peter Navarro; and Musk, during his tenure, also clashed with Navarro, Duffy and Rubio......

As we’ve discussed, throughout American history, there have been administrations with rival factions, but those divisions usually take time to develop. On Team Trump, the cracks are bursting into view less than eight months after Inauguration Day.

In theory, a strong president could intervene, resolve differences, unite his or her own team and establish a clear vision for his or her administration to follow. In practice, however, Trump appears content to play the role of President Bystander, watching these divisions get even worse.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. MaddowBlog-Adam Schiff tries to turn the tables, pushes for investigation into FHFA's Pulte

A Trump loyalist at the Federal Housing Finance Agency sought a DOJ investigation into Schiff. The Democratic senator’s lawyer said that’s backward.

Adam Schiff tries to turn the tables, pushes for investigation into FHFA’s Pulte - MSNBC

apple.news/AxIcsB4uASn-...

— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-09-10T16:03:32.571Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/adam-schiff-tries-turn-tables-pushes-investigation-fhfas-pulte-rcna230346

It’s not altogether flattering. Politico reported, for example, that some congressional Republicans are “privately expressing growing discontent” with Pulte. The article quoted one unnamed GOP lawmaker saying, in reference to the housing official: “The guy’s just a little too big for his britches.”

Another added, “I think he’s a nut.”

But just as notable is some of the pushback the FHFA chief is getting from one of the Trump targets he referred to the Justice Department. The Los Angeles Times reported:

Three days after President Trump publicly accused Sen. Adam Schiff of committing mortgage fraud, an attorney for Schiff wrote privately to the Department of Justice that there was ‘no factual basis’ for the claims — but ‘ample basis’ to launch an investigation into Bill Pulte, the Trump administration official digging into the mortgage records of the president’s most prominent political opponents.

......It was around this same time when Schiff hired Preet Bharara, a high-profile legal figure who served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, who wasted little time in reaching out to the DOJ.

“We are disturbed by the highly irregular, partisan process that led to these baseless accusations; the purposeful, coordinated public disclosure of these materials containing confidential personal information, without regard to the security risks posed to the Senator and his family; and Mr. Pulte’s role in this sordid effort,” Bharara wrote in the July 18 letter reviewed by MaddowBlog.

The L.A. Times’ report added:

Bharara outlined several reasons why he believed the president’s allegations against Schiff are without merit, and attached a copy of a letter from Schiff to the mortgage lender on his home near Washington, D.C, that Bharara said proved Schiff had been ‘completely transparent’ about listing both that home and a unit in his home district in Burbank as primary residences in mortgage documents.

Bharara also tried to turn the tables, making the case that Pulte is “a Presidential appointee who seems to have made it his mission to misuse the power of his office to manufacture allegations of criminal conduct against the President’s perceived political adversaries,” and as such, it’s Pulte, and not Schiff, who should be investigated.

“You should decline Mr. Pulte’s invitation to join his retaliatory harassment of Senator Schiff,” Bharara wrote to DOJ leaders. “Instead, Mr. Pulte’s misuse of his position should be investigated by a nonpartisan Inspector General to determine whether Mr. Pulte’s conduct should be referred to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation.”

Schiff has a great attorney and this will be fun to watch