Overview

• Politico reported that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch FHFA Director Bill Pulte during a heated private dinner with administration figures in Washington this month.
• Asked on CNBC’s Squawk Box to confirm the report, Bessent avoided a direct answer, joking that Treasury secretaries have a history of dueling and likening disagreements to locker-room arguments.
• CNBC’s Joe Kernen pressed Bessent about the accounts as the secretary bantered with the hosts, including a tongue-in-cheek remark about betting on Becky Quick in a hypothetical fight.
• Earlier reporting cited by The Hill recounts a separate confrontation with Elon Musk over IRS leadership, with Steve Bannon telling The Washington Post that a brief physical scuffle occurred near the Oval Office.
• The episodes reflect internal tussles over personnel and policy direction, including IRS leadership and housing finance oversight, with the newest allegation centered on a Georgetown social club dinner.