Bessent Admits Telling Bill Pulte He ‘Was Going To Kick His A- -’

BreakingBusinessBessent Admits Telling Bill Pulte He ‘Was Going To Kick His A- -’BySara Dorn,Forbes Staff. Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.Follow AuthorJun 03, 2026, 01:50pm EDTToplineTreasury Secretary Scott Bessent confessed he tried to fight President Donald Trump’s pick for Acting Director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte, last summer, but now supports him, despite multiple Republicans openly criticizing the controversial pick. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate Finance Committee budget hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office building in Washington, DC, United States, on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)Anadolu via Getty ImagesKey FactsBessent admitted, “I actually said I was going to kick his a—” when Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., asked about the widely reported confrontation last summer during a congressional hearing Wednesday.Tillis, who has slammed Trump’s decision to tap Pulte for the spy role, told Bessent, “good, I share the emotion.”Tillis said he wouldn’t support Pulte for DNI, adding, “he lost me when he went after [former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome] Powell.”Bessent, however, said he called to congratulate Pulte on his nomination and dismissed their feud: “many teams squabble in the locker room and go out on the field,” he said.Trump announced Tuesday Pulte would replace Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard when she exits the role at the end of the month, though Pulte will continue serving as chair of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. This is a developing story and will be updated.Got a tip? Share confidential information with Forbes.Editorial StandardsReprints & PermissionsLOADING VIDEO PLAYER...FORBES’ FEATURED Video