Topline
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent insulted the Wall Street Journal, calling the paper a “shadow of its former self” after a report detailing instances of his alleged tirades, including lashing out at underlings and spitting in his own food, contributing to the departures of multiple top officials at the agency.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visits “Special Report” with Bret Baier at FOX News D.C. Bureau on September 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday the report was based on interviews with two “disgruntled” unnamed former employees and that the majority of employees who spoke to the paper said, “I’m a great employer.”
He also denied allegations he threw a briefing binder at the wall last year because he was angry about the way it was organized.
Among the other claims, Bessent reportedly yelled profanities at undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence John Hurley in front of aides during a January meeting, because he was reportedly upset that Hurley wasn’t working fast enough to investigate allegations of fraud in Minnesota’s Somali community, according to unnamed sources cited by the Journal.
Hurley—who denied to the Journal that he and Bessent were at odds over the Minnesota probe, and called him “a brilliant and fearless warrior for President Trump and the American people”—left the department to be U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Hurley is among seven Senate-confirmed officials who have left the agency as of the end of August, the Journal reported, citing the Partnership for Public Service.
In another display of his notorious temper, Bessent lashed out at the owner of a Washington restaurant in December when they refused to remove hecklers with the liberal group Code Pink, then spit in his own food and left, according to the restaurant owner and an unnamed nearby diner, the Journal reported.
Bessent has also reportedly clashed with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, telling Lutnick “no” and turning away when he asked if the two could talk at the private Washington, D.C., club, The Ned, last year (Lutnick denied the interaction and said the two spoke to Trump together that night).
Tangent
Bessent allegedly threatened to punch Director of U.S. Federal Housing Bill Pulte, another controversial Trump administration official, “in the f—ing face” at a private dinner to celebrate Trump’s inauguration last year. Bessent was reportedly angry about rumors that Pulte was attempting to undermine him with Trump. Bessent did not deny the altercation, telling CNBC, “treasury secretaries dating back to Alexander Hamilton have a history of dueling . .. and it turned out a little better for Treasury’s side this time.”
Contra
A Treasury Department spokesperson told Forbes, “the American people elected President Trump to make Washington work for them, and Secretary Bessent has tirelessly carried out that mandate,” adding that Bessent “approaches the job with a deep sense of responsibility and urgency” and “has high expectations of the United States Treasury’s performance.” The spokesperson did not comment directly on the accusations of angry outbursts reported in the Journal. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers also told the Journal, “the level of professionalism and accountability Secretary Bessent has instilled department-wide is one of the greatest accomplishments of this administration.” Forbes has reached out to the Treasury Department.
Key Background
Bessent’s anger was relatively well-known even before the Journal story, and he appears to have grown more influential in Trump’s circle despite it. The Journal reported that Trump calls Bessent almost every day. Trump made clear at an event in April he’s aware of Bessent’s temper and doesn’t see it as a problem, joking, “I created a monster.” But the Journal reports that investors are “starting to see him as acting more and more like Trump . . . and that’s shaking confidence in him,” former Treasury official and Beacon Policy Advisors managing partner Stephen Myrow said. Bessent has consolidated key roles in the agency among those in his inner circle, including replacing Hurley with Gene Lange, an ally who used to work for him at his Key Square Capital Management investment management firm. His assistant secretary at the department, Hunter McMaster, and an undersecretary, Francis Browne, also worked with Bessent at Key Square, according to the Journal, and Browne’s sister, Erin Browne, is an undersecretary for international affairs.
further reading
How Rich Is Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent? (Forbes)
Bessent Admits Telling Bill Pulte He ‘Was Going To Kick His A- -’ (Forbes)
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