Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a Senate committee hearing Wednesday whether it was true that Bessent told federal housing regulator Bill Pulte that he would punch him in the face.
Watch Bessent’s remarks in our video player above.
“No, sir. I actually said I was going to kick his ass,” Bessent said.
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“I share the emotion,” Tillis said.
Bessent said he made the comment in the summer of 2025. President Donald Trump named Pulte acting director of national intelligence this week.
In September, Politico wrote an article detailing the clash between Bessent and Pulte, who is the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, during a private dinner.
“Many teams have fights in the locker room and then go out and win for the team on the field,” Bessent said in Wednesday’s hearing.
Tillis said he made it clear he would not support Pulte’s nomination, which has drawn bipartisan criticism. It’s unclear what intelligence background Pulte has, and congressional statute requires whomever is appointed to the position to have extensive national security expertise.
