A move by a Donald Trump official is being seen as "revenge" against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who recently threatened to punch him "in the f------ face."
Bessent faces scrutiny over home-loan filings similar to the discrepancies being used by the Donald Trump administration to challenge Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the Daily Beast reported Wednesday.
Weeks after reportedly threatening to punch top housing finance official Bill Pulte, Bessent now finds himself confronting mortgage-related allegations after allegedly agreeing to occupy two different houses as his "principal residence" simultaneously.
The conflicting agreements, first reported by Bloomberg, mirror the contradictory pledges the president, with Pulte's assistance, has been using to attempt to remove Cook from her central bank board position. And social media users were quick to celebrate that Pulte — who Politico has called one of Trump's "most vociferous social media attack dogs — has appeared to move his attention to his nemesis.
“PULTE gets his revenge,” wrote political commentator Sam Stein on X.
The violent threat unfolded at the Executive Branch, an exclusive MAGA club co-owned by Donald Trump Jr, during a dinner with numerous Trump administration officials. According to Politico, tensions escalated when Bessent confronted Pulte over allegations of negative discussions with Trump.
"Why the f--- are you talking to the president about me? F--- you," Bessent was quoted as saying. "I'm gonna punch you in your f------g face."
Bessent has downplayed the confrontation, describing such disputes as part of policymaking. "Treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling," he joked on MSNBC's Squawk Box.
The situation draws parallels to the ongoing controversy surrounding Cook. The Trump administration alleges Cook claimed two different properties in Michigan and Georgia as her "primary" residence. Ironically, the Bloomberg report reveals Bessent's own conflicting agreements obligated him to occupy homes in New York and Massachusetts as his primary residence simultaneously in 2007.
Cook recently scored a legal victory when an appeals court allowed her to continue working at the Fed while Trump's termination attempt proceeds through the court system. White House spokesman Kush Desai remains defiant, stating, "The President lawfully removed Lisa Cook for cause. The Administration will appeal this decision and looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue."
Both the White House and Pulte's office have declined to comment on Bessent's mortgage filings, the Beast reported.
Meanwhile, Bessent's lawyer, Alex Spiro, avoided direct comparison with Cook's situation, and Bessent himself continues to suggest Cook's potential guilt
"We haven't heard her say 'I didn't do it.' She just keeps saying the president can't remove her," Bessent told Fox News Mornings with Maria earlier this month.