An explosive argument between two prominent Trump officials nearly turned into an all-out brawl last week at a private dinner hosted by a private MAGA club founded by some of Donald Trump’s closest advisers.
According to sources who spoke to Politico, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at one point threatened to punch Housing finance official Bill Pulte “in the fucking face,” accusing him of trash-talking behind his back to Trump.
“Either Pulte gets the f*ck out of here, or I do,” Bessent shouted, before daring Pulte to “take the matter outside.” A co-founder of the club had to step in to stop the fight from boiling over, but not before Bessent shouted and cursed, demanding a showdown.
While Bessent stepped out briefly, neither man ended up leaving the dinner.
Behind the outburst is what one source called a “slow-burning turf war” between Bessent, Pulte, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — a longtime Pulte ally. The infighting comes at a time when Trump is rapidly reshaping his economic team and increasing pressure on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.
Publicly, Trump has played the peacemaker — or at least tried to. Speaking on Friday, he seemed to acknowledge the tension with a wink and a nod.
“They’re the most different human beings I’ve ever met,” Trump said. “They’re both great, but one is a little bit different than the other, like by about 200 yards, and they’re fantastic and they get along great.”
But behind the scenes, it’s anything but great. Pulte’s profile with Trump has surged in recent weeks after he accused Fed Governor Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud — an explosive claim that led to her abrupt firing. Cook has since sued the administration, arguing Trump had no authority to remove her. The battle reflects Trump’s broader push to overhaul the Fed’s Board of Governors to align with his vision.
This wasn’t Bessent’s first run-in with a MAGA heavyweight. Earlier this year, he reportedly got into a fist fight with Elon Musk — who at the time was serving as a White House adviser — over who should run the IRS.
If there’s one takeaway from this mess, it’s this: the jockeying for power inside Trump’s circle isn’t just intense — it’s volatile. And it’s happening in plain view, with fists nearly flying at high-end dinners.
The White House has so far refused to comment on the report.
