Bessent sets record straight on Trump team dinner clash that nearly turned into a throwdown: ‘Kick his a–’

2026-06-03T16:36:12-04:00 / Fox News

The secretary called Pulte on Tuesday to congratulate him after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down from the DNI role

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

Published June 3, 2026 4:36pm EDT

Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich has the latest on President Donald Trump appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William ‘Bill’ Pulte on ‘Special Report.’

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed his past clash with Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s newly tapped acting intelligence chief, after senators pressed him Wednesday over reports that he once threatened to punch him at a dinner party.

“Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch them in the face,” asked North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday, referencing reports from 2025 that Bessent threatened Pulte during a dinner.

“No sir, I actually said I was going to kick his ass,” the secretary quipped.

The exchange during the Treasury’s budget hearing renewed scrutiny of earlier reports detailing a clash between the two men, coming just days after Trump announced that the Federal Housing Finance Agency director would take on one of the government’s most sensitive national security responsibilities.

DEM LASHES OUT AT BESSENT DURING HEATED COMMITTEE HEARING EXCHANGE: ‘EXCUSE ME’

Treasury Secretary Bessent downplayed his reported feud with Bill Pulte, saying he called to congratulate him on his new role leading intelligence.(Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

Reports at the time found that Bessent allegedly accused Pulte of undermining him with the president and threatened to punch him in the face while at a dinner in September. But as senators pressed him about Pulte’s elevation to acting director, Bessent downplayed the flared tempers and revealed that he called Tuesday to congratulate him.

“Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,” responded Bessent when asked if he was comfortable with Pulte’s appointment.

When asked at the time about the alleged dinner quarrel, Bessent commented in September that it is not unprecedented to have Cabinet members to have physical altercations.

“Treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling,” Bessent said in a CNBC interview.

DC DINNER TURNS CHAOTIC AS CODEPINK ACTIVISTS CORNER TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT BESSENT: ‘BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS’

“Many teams squabble in the locker room and go out in the field,” responded Bessent.(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump tapped Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she would step down last month to support her husband following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer.

TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 9, 2026.(Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Pulte will remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the new post.

Bessent also made headlines in April 2025 for an alleged face-to-face with SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk.

The two men reportedly entered into a shouting match while in the West Wing over who would lead the IRS, Axios reported at the time.

Democratic lawmakers have expressed their disagreement with the Pulte pick, calling his qualifications into question.

“Trump’s appointments of Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence appears to have been a hastily considered backroom deal based on loyalty to Trump, not the security of our nation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

“What exactly are Bill Pulte qualifications? Does he have a national security background? The answer would be no. Does he have a military background? The answer would be no. Does he have a law enforcement background? The answer would be no,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

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He added, “What qualifies Bill Pulte to hold one of the most important national security positions for the United States of America? One thing, apparently, that Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Treasury Department and DNI for comment.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

NASA declares end of mission for long-lasting Mars orbiter

June 3, 2026 / 5:26 PM EDT / CBS News

As it passed behind Mars six months ago, NASA’s MAVEN probe was still working normally, studying how the solar wind impacts the Martian atmosphere. But during that 20- to 30-minute pass behind the red planet, out of contact with Earth, something went wrong, and the spacecraft has not been heard from since.

On Wednesday, after concerted efforts to remotely reset the spacecraft’s computer and prompt the probe to “phone home,” agency officials said the $582 million orbiter could not be recovered and that its extraordinarily successful mission was at an end.

“Our last successful communication with MAVEN occurred on December 6 of 2025,” said Mike Moreau, MAVEN project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. “The MAVEN spacecraft and all of the subsystems were nominal when the spacecraft entered a normally scheduled occultation where the spacecraft passed behind Mars.”

“There were no indications of problems with the spacecraft in the week prior to the loss of signal, but when the spacecraft emerged behind Mars on December 6, the Deep Space Network did not detect a signal,” Moreau said.

An artist’s impression of the MAVEN spacecraft in orbit around Mars. NASA

Commands were sent in the blind in an attempt to force MAVEN’s flight computer to restart, but to no avail.

“Unfortunately, all of these efforts to reestablish communication with MAVEN were ultimately unsuccessful, and no telemetry or signal has been received from the spacecraft since December 6,” Moreau said.

Launched on Nov. 18, 2013, MAVEN, an acronym standing for the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution Mission, braked into orbit around Mars the following September.

Equipped with a sophisticated suite of instruments, the probe was designed to study the Martian atmosphere to learn more about how it is eroded, or blown away and thinned out by particles in the solar wind.

Originally designed to operate for just one year around Mars, MAVEN’s mission was repeatedly extended, enabling the most extensive research into the workings of the Martian atmosphere ever attempted.

Mars was once a warmer, wetter world, but for water to exist on the surface, a much higher atmospheric pressure is required than what is present today. MAVEN has provided major insights into how charged particles in the solar wind have eroded the Martian atmosphere over billions of years.

“One of our most exciting discoveries used 11 years of MAVEN data to observe, for the first time in any planet, an atmospheric escape process called ‘sputtering,’” said Shannon Curry, the principal investigator at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“This is where charged particles crash into the upper atmosphere and splash out the neutral atmosphere, much like doing a cannonball in a pool,” Curry said. “Our team (confirmed) that this process has been a dominant escape mechanism for billions of years, which has incredible implications for other planets in our solar system and even exoplanets.”

Along with studying the red planet’s atmosphere, MAVEN also helped relay signals from NASA’s two operational Mars rovers, Curiosity and Perseverance, to flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Three other Mars orbiters provide similar communications relay service.

While MAVEN operated well beyond its initial mission, NASA is attempting to find out what might have gone wrong in case there are lessons to be learned for other missions. In February, the agency set up an anomaly review board to look for the root cause.

As part of that ongoing investigation, engineers re-analyzed recordings of what the Deep Space Network possibly could have “heard” when MAVEN emerged from behind Mars as part of an ongoing radio science experiment. As expected, normal telemetry was not there, but they found fragments of data indicating the spacecraft was rotating at 2.7 revolutions per minute.

Other than periodically changing its orientation as required for science observations, communications and power generation, MAVEN did not normally rotate, keeping its solar panels aimed toward the sun and its antenna pointed toward Earth.

At the observed rotation rate, normal communications likely would not have been possible, and the arrays would have been unable to generate sufficient power. In that scenario, the probe’s batteries would have quickly drained.

Moreau would not speculate on what might have happened while the spacecraft was out of contact with Earth, saying he was eager to hear the results of the ongoing investigation.

Whatever the cause, the rotation rate observed in the recovered telemetry was not survivable. The spacecraft is expected to remain in the same orbit around Mars for at least the next 50 to 100 years, but NASA will make no additional attempts to regain contact.

“On a personal note, leading this team has been a privilege and an honor,” Curry said. “This team has worked tirelessly on operating the spacecraft and delivering exceptional science. It’s their vision, their drive and their curiosity that brought these amazing discoveries into fruition. I will miss the spacecraft and this team dearly.”

Asked by a reporter what should go on MAVEN’s tombstone, Curry said: “Best Mars mission ever.”

Five tense moments from Rubio’s testimony over the war in Iran

2026-06-03 7:42 PM EDT / By Samantha Lindell, CNN

A House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday repeatedly turned contentious as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was grilled on the US war on Iran.

3:38 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/03/politics/video/tense-moments-from-rubio-testimony-war-in-iran-digvid

US House votes for measure that would end Iran war, in blow to Trump

2026-06-03T21:24:45.984Z / https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-house-backs-resolution-curbing-trump-iran-war-powers-2026-06-03/

Four Republicans join Democrats to back measure
Vote is largely symbolic
House also backed Ukraine measure opposed by leadership
Democrats stress “affordability” as November midterm elections approach

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) – The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution on Wednesday to block President Donald Trump from continuing the war against Iran, reflecting growing concern among members of his party about the three-month-old conflict.

The House voted 215 to 208, as four Republicans voted with Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution, which directs Trump to withdraw U.S. troops from Iran unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force.

The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here.

It was the latest setback for Trump in Congress despite his party’s slim majorities in both the House and Senate.

For now, the vote is largely symbolic, as legislation must pass the Senate as well as the House to become effective, and there is debate over whether war powers resolutions would be constitutional even if they are approved by Congress.

The vote, nonetheless, reflects unease among some Republicans over Trump’s handling of the conflict and marks a rare bipartisan effort to curb presidential war powers as the war has entered a fourth month. Three previous war powers resolutions had failed in the House by increasingly slim margins and the chamber’s Republican leaders abruptly postponed a vote on this one last month when it looked likely to pass.

The Senate advanceda separate, but similar resolution last month in a procedural vote, after seven previous attempts had failed. Further votes on the Senate measure have not yet been scheduled.

The four House Republicans who voted for the war powers resolution were Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

No Democrats voted against it. Seven House members did not vote.

RECENT PUSHBACK AGAINST TRUMP

Trump recently has faced some opposition from members of his party in Congress, after months in which very few Republicans pushed back against his policy initiatives.

Separately on Wednesday, the House approved a procedural motion that clears the way for a vote on the Ukraine Support Act, which would provide security aid to Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion. The act reached the floor only after a petition reached a 218-signature threshold last month to move ahead.

Six Republicans and one independent who normally votes with Republicans voted in favor of the Ukraine measure.

Republicans recently have revolted against Trump’s plans to create a “weaponization” fund to pay his political allies who said they had been the subject of government abuse.

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also criticized Trump’s pick of loyalist Bill Pulte – a mortgage regulator with no national security experience – to serve as acting director of national intelligence.

SEPARATION OF POWERS

Democrats have called on Trump to come to Congress for authorization to use military force in the Iran conflict, noting that the U.S. Constitution says only the legislature, not the president, can declare war.

They warned that Trump may have pulled the country into a long conflict without setting out a clear strategy and also railed against higher prices for gasoline, food and other products since the joint U.S.-Israeli air strikes on Iran began on February 28.

“The passage of this WPR today signals a significant turning point: more and more Republicans are listening to their constituents who do not want another open-ended war in the Middle East,” Representative Gregory Meeks, who sponsored the war powers resolution and serves as ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement after the vote.

Democrats have made affordability a central theme of their economic message ahead of midterm elections in November that will decide whether Republicans keep control of Congress.

U.S. producer prices posted their biggest increase in four years in April, boosted by soaring costs for goods and services since the war began.

The Trump administration insists that the war on Iran is necessary for U.S. national security, citing an urgent need to prevent the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear weapon.

Republican critics of the war powers resolutions call them political grandstanding by Democrats who want to weaken the United States and score points against Trump.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Don Durfee and Deepa Babington

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

伊朗外长警告：任何对贝鲁特袭击都将引发中东战争全面重启

2026年6月4日 07:11 / 联合早报

以色列6月3日空袭黎巴嫩南部马尔杰尤恩地区的真主党目标后，现场升起浓烟。 （法新社）

伊朗外长阿拉格齐周三警告，任何对黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特的袭击都将引发中东战争的“全面重启”。

据伊朗通讯社报道，阿拉格齐星期三（6月3日）接受黎巴嫩电视台采访时说：“伊朗与犹太复国主义者（以色列）和美国之间的战争命运与黎巴嫩战事的命运密不可分，这两条战线从一开始就交织在一起。”

他强调：“任何对贝鲁特的袭击都将造成严重后果，并将导致战争全面重启。”

以色列总理内坦亚胡宣称，他在周一通话中告诉美国总统特朗普，如果黎巴嫩真主党继续袭击以色列，以军将袭击贝鲁特的真主党目标。他也表明，以军将继续按计划在黎巴嫩南部采取行动。

阿拉格齐周三在采访中说，伊朗已明确告知美国，如果以色列对贝鲁特发动军事行动，将被视为停火全面破裂，伊方“绝不容忍”，伊朗武装部队将作出回应。

延伸阅读
伊朗恫言彻底封锁霍尔木兹海峡 伊朗外长：美国要求过分且立场矛盾阻碍谈判进程

他说，除向美方传递相关信息外，伊朗也已告知地区伙伴，由于以色列的行动，战争或将再次爆发。他说，在地区国家共同施压下，相关军事行动最终被阻止，避免局势进一步升级。

谈及伊美谈判进程，阿拉格齐说，与美方的沟通并未中断，但没有任何实质性进展。重返谈判桌的条件是保障伊朗民族权益、结束黎巴嫩战事并停止地区紧张局势。他说：“美国已在近期冲突中充分认识到伊朗的能力与影响力。”

Trump signs order to make it easier to fire 8,000 federal workers

2026-06-03 20:17:14 UTC / Reuters

By Alexandra Alper and Courtney Rozen

June 3, 2026 8:17 PM UTC Updated 3 hours ago

[1/3]People attend a rally in support of federal workers outside the 26 Federal Plaza, a federal office building in New York City, U.S., March 25, 2025. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday making it easier to fire 8,000 of ​some of the best-paid government workers, part of a broader effort to overhaul ‌the federal workforce.

The order, released by the White House and the Office of Personnel Management, strips job protections from a mostly senior group of federal workers earning up ​to almost $200,000 a year and who are deemed to be “influencing” government policy.

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In ​a call previewing the move, Scott Kupor, director of the Office ⁠of Personnel Management, which oversees the government’s human resources policies, said the ​administration needs to employ people willing and able to carry out orders to ​achieve the administration’s policy priorities.

“You can have any political views, but if you allow those views to basically interfere with your willingness to actually carry out lawful orders and ​policy directives with the administration, then this provides a mechanism obviously for ​people in those agencies to be able to be removed effectively at will,” he said.

The ‌order ⁠shows Trump is persisting in his efforts to discipline and fire career employees who he sees as undermining his political goals, a year after billionaire Elon Musk left his post overseeing an effort to slash government spending and ​payrolls.

Trump believes his agenda ​was hampered by ⁠career federal workers who opposed his policies during his first term.

The number of workers affected by the order is ​well below a ceiling estimate of up to 50,000 ​workers who ⁠could have been made subject to the new rules. Senior administration officials on the call said Trump could expand the grouping but has no immediate plans ⁠to ​do so.

Federal worker unions and their allies sued ​in January to stop the policy before it was fully developed. Federal judges paused the litigation ​while the Trump administration finalized changes.

Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Nia Williams

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Paralympian who won Dem race for Senate in Iowa speaks to Erin Burnett

2026-06-03 07:46 PM EDT / CNN

Paralympian who won Dem race for Senate in Iowa speaks to Erin Burnett

Erin Burnett talks to Iowa’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, State Representative Josh Turek on his odds becoming the first Iowa Democrat elected to the Senate in 18 years.

3:03 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/03/politics/video/ebof-josh-turek-iowa-dem-us-senate

Fox News Poll: Democratic unity, Republican crossovers shape Ohio Senate race

2026-06-03T18:00:02-04:00 / Fox News

Inflation is the defining issue for Ohio voters going into the midterm elections

By Dana Blanton, Fox News

Published June 3, 2026 6:00pm EDT

Vivek Ramaswamy announces plan to curb Medicaid fraud in Ohio

Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy discusses his plan to fight Medicaid fraud, aiming to recover billions in taxpayer money, on ‘Hannity.’

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President Donald Trump carried Ohio by more than 11 percentage points in 2024, but a new Fox News survey finds his standing in the Buckeye State has deteriorated — a development that is benefitting Democrat Sherrod Brown in the Senate race.

By a 15-point margin, Ohioans view Trump negatively: 42% hold a favorable opinion and 57% an unfavorable one. That’s more than a 20-point swing compared to his +6 net positive rating (52-46%) in the November 2024 Ohio Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.

The poll of Ohio voters, released Wednesday, finds Trump’s ratings are about on par with views of Republican incumbent Senator Jon Husted (41% favorable, 50% unfavorable), while challenger and former Ohio Senator Brown is viewed significantly more positively (53% vs. 44%).

That helps Brown outperform Husted by a 53% to 45% margin in the race to fill the state’s Senate seat. His 8-point lead is outside the poll’s margin of sampling error.

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Brown garners fully 98% support among Democrats compared to Husted’s 86% among Republicans. Brown also receives backing from outside the democratic base: 31% of non-MAGA Republicans and 13% of all Republicans. Only 2% of Democrats pick Husted.

Husted is favored by White evangelical Christians (+32 points), rural voters (+11), and White men without a college degree (+7). Brown is preferred by voters under age 35 (+33), independents (+18), and women (+14).

Non-white voters favor Brown by 58 points, while the race is a dead heat among White voters (49% each). And the candidates are nearly tied among voters ages 45 and over (49-48%), while Brown leads by 23 points among those under age 45.

The candidates are competing for the Senate seat Husted currently holds after being appointed to replace JD Vance when Vance became vice president.Brown is hoping to return to the U.S. Senate after he narrowly lost his seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024.

About 7 in 10 of both Brown’s (73%) and Husted’s supporters (69%) are certain of their choice.Overall, about one in four say they may change their mind before voting.

FOX NEWS POLL: ‘RESILIENT DISCONTENT’ DEFINES THE US MOOD AT 250TH ANNIVERSARY

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By a 6-point margin, more Democrats (82%) than Republicans (76%) say they are extremely or very motivated to vote this November.

Most Brown supporters, 68%, describe their vote as mainly for him rather than against Husted (30%). Those who are backing Husted are less enthusiastic about their candidate, with 58% saying their support is mainly for him rather than against Brown (39%).

In a state Trump carried with 55% of the vote, the survey finds being too close to him is now more of a liability than being too liberal. Some 39% of Ohioans are concerned Brown is “too liberal,” including 13% of his supporters.For Husted, 46% overall are worried he is “too close” to Trump, including 10% of his backers.

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Inflation dominates, with 43% saying it is the most important issue in their Senate vote. All others trail far behind, including healthcare (12%), immigration and border security (11%,) political divisions (9%), jobs (8%), Iran (7%), abortion and crime (4% each). Notably, inflation is the top issue among independents (50%), Democrats (44%), Republicans (40%), MAGA (34%), and 2024 Trump voters (39%).

Voters focused on inflation favor Brown by 14 points, as do healthcare voters by 44 points, while those prioritizing immigration and border security go for Husted by 76.

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On their family’s financial situation, 39% of Ohio voters say they are falling behind, up from 32% who said the same in the 2024 FNVA survey. The largest number, 49%, say their family is holding steady, down 9 points.

“There’s good reason for the Democrats to be bullish on Ohio,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The state remains solidly Republican, but Democrats are united against Trump allies and independents prefer Brown.”

In the race for governor, Ohio voters are divided: half back Democrat Amy Acton (50%) and nearly half favor Republican Vivek Ramaswamy (49%).Fourteen percent who prefer Brown in the Senate race cross-party lines to support Ramaswamy.

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Most Democrats (93%) go for Acton, while most Republicans favor Ramaswamy (89%). Independents back Acton by 8 points (51-43%).

Nearly twice as many Acton supporters (38%) as Ramaswamy backers (21%) say their vote is mainly “against” the other candidate.

Seven in 10 of each candidate’s supporters are certain of their choice.

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Although views of Acton are positive by 9 points (46% favorable vs. 37% unfavorable), 16% are unable to rate her.Ramaswamy’s ratings are positive by 1 point (45-44%), while Vance’s are underwater by 7 (45-52%), and opinion splits on sitting GOP Gov. Mike DeWine (48-48%).

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By more than 2-to-1, Buckeye voters oppose having an AI data center built in their area (32% favor, 65% oppose). That opposition is across the political spectrum, as majorities of Democrats (72%), independents (64%), and Republicans (59%) are against building data centers.

Conducted May 28-June 1, 2026 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,015 Ohio registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (109) and cellphones (653) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (253). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

As head of the polling unit, Dana Blanton runs the Fox News Poll and oversees the Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.

美国总统特朗普周三在白宫告诉记者，美伊谈判进行非常顺利，如能达成协议，可能会在这个周末揭晓。 （彭博社）

美国总统特朗普周三宣称，与伊朗的谈判进展“非常顺利”，并可能在本周末取得成果。

特朗普星期三（6月3日）在白宫告诉记者：“我听说谈判进行非常顺利……如果真能达成协议，那可能会在这个周末揭晓。”

特朗普的乐观评估与伊朗外长阿拉格奇的说法截然不同。阿拉格奇周三说，伊朗与美国的沟通渠道仍然畅通，但在结束中东战争的谈判中“没有取得任何实质性进展”。

特朗普周三还说，他希望将美伊会谈与以色列和黎巴嫩真主党之间的冲突分开。“我希望将它们分开，我希望它们各自独立，因为它们确实是两回事。”

在被问及伊朗对科威特的最新袭击发生后，美国与伊朗停火协议是否仍然生效时，特朗普说，美军在前两天夜里对伊朗进行了相当猛烈的打击，“所以有些事情发生是有原因的，而且这种原因通常多少说得通。”

他还说，伊朗此次举动“算不上什么大事”，并称“我们已经掌控了局势，并迅速将其扼杀在了萌芽状态”。

特朗普还称，美伊一旦达成协议，霍尔木兹海峡将立即恢复通航。“不过，通航的前提是需对个别区域进行最后的扫雷清理。”

Scott Bessent testifies he told Bill Pulte he was “going to kick his a**,” not punch him in the face

2026-06-03T16:11:00-0400 / CBS News

By

Updated on: June 3, 2026 / 4:12 PM EDT / CBS News

President Trump’s pick for acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has become a point of contention on Capitol Hill, including on Wednesday, when Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed to senators that he had a heated argument with the Trump loyalist last year — but disputed some of the details.

The president’s decision to tap Pulte, who lacks a résumé in the national security field and oversaw the launch of mortgage fraud investigations into Trump critics as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has been met with little joy from Republicans on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina asked Bessent if he really threatened to punch Pulte in the face last year. Tillis was referencing a September Politico report of a heated argument between Bessent and Pulte during an event with dozens of administration officials and Trump advisers.

“I do have one awkward question to ask you real quick and then I want to get to some of the trends and how you’re going to work on them,” Tillis said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on budget matters. “Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch him in the face?”

“No, sir. I actually said I was going to kick his a**,” Bessent responded with a slight smile.

“Good. Okay. Good. I share the emotion,” responded Tillis.

Bessent added, “And as I said, that was last summer, summer of ’25, and many teams have fights in the locker room and then go out and win for the team on the field.”

Tillis said he was “just curious” because he expects that story to resurface as Pulte steps into the nation’s top intelligence role.

Politico reported in September that Bessent heard Pulte was badmouthing him to the president, and the treasury secretary told Pulte, “I’m going to fing beat your a.” Bessent also reportedly said to Pulte: “I’m gonna punch you in your f**ing face,” according to the Politico story.

As FHFA director, Pulte sent criminal referrals to the Justice Department alleging mortgage fraud by a number of Mr. Trump’s political foes, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and former Rep. Eric Swalwell. Mr. Trump cited the fraud allegations against Cook to justify her attempted firing, which is currently before the Supreme Court.

All four have denied wrongdoing, and only the investigation into James has resulted in criminal charges to date. That case was eventually dismissed after a judge found the prosecutor was appointed invalidly.

Pulte can remain acting director of national intelligence for up to 210 days from when he begins the post, which he will be doing on top of running the FHFA, which oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Tillis isn’t the only Republican senator who doesn’t support Pulte taking the role. Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also expressed doubts about Pulte’s experience.