Optional soundtrack for the post below:
According to Politico, there was an incident between two of the very serious people in charge of U.S. economic policy last week:
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.
A long table for the 30-some guests was set with top-of-the-line crystal and china. The guest list included Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Medicare and Medicaid chief Mehmet Oz, plus venture capitalist David Sacks, Palihapitiya’s partner on the “All In” podcast.
Let’s pause for a moment to allow the bolded text to sink in. Working stiffs are paying an ever-greater share of their stagnant wages for groceries, seeing electric bills rise precipitously as utilities scramble to accommodate the insatiable energy needs of competing planet-destroying plagiarism machines and are about to see insurance costs spike due to nearly a trillion in Medicaid cuts.
But Trump’s full employment program for worthless right-wing billionaires and centi-millionaires has been so successful that the parasites had to build themselves an exclusive Georgetown club. How’s that going?
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.”
Bessent, a blow-dried twit with a smarmy smile, has a public-facing demeanor that is described as “soothing” in the article. We know he calmly lies about the economy and tariffs, etc., on TV a lot.
But this isn’t the first time he’s tried to throw down with a rival for Trump’s affections. He and Musk allegedly exchanged shoves outside the Oval Office earlier this summer while arguing over which corrupt incompetent should run the IRS. Now it’s Pulte’s turn in the barrel.
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.”
Bessent did not fucking beat Pulte’s ass. The club owners seated them far apart, and the fat-cat debauchery in the occupied city went on without further incident. But it’s fair to wonder why those fellas are so tense.
They are petty, shitty people, or they wouldn’t be in Trump’s orbit in the first place. But is it possible the strain of trying to hold up the house of cards that is the Trump economy is starting to take a toll?
Maybe the next event will feature a real billionaire-on-billionaire beatdown. If so, I hope there’s video.
Open thread!
