Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responded to an "awkward question" from a longtime Republican senator on Wednesday about a reported feud with a fellow Trump cabinet member.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) asked Bessent about a confrontation between himself and Bill Pulte, who President Donald Trump this week named as acting Director of National Intelligence.
"I do have one awkward question... did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch him in the face?" Tillis asked.
"No sir, I actually said I was going to kick his a--," Bessent said, smiling.
"Oh, good, I share the emotion," Tillis, who plans to retire at the end of his term in January 2027, responded.
Bessent said the incident happened in summer 2025 and compared it to sports teams having fights in the locker room, "and then go out and win for the team on the field."
"I was just curious... I made it clear I'm not going to support Pulte for DNI but I'm sure they're going to dredge that up," Tillis said.
Bessent said he and Pulte had resolved their differences and were now on good terms.
Tillis didn't agree with Pulte's new role.
"He lost me when he went after [Fed Chair Jerome] Powell," Tillis added.
.@SenThomTillis: "Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch him in the face?
Secretary Bessent: "No sir, I told him I was going to kick his ass."121712 pic.twitter.com/5js2Rp7o0c
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 3, 2026