Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged Wednesday that he threatened to “kick ass” during a heated confrontation last year, while firmly denying reports that he threatened to punch the now-acting Director of National Intelligence “in the face.”
The unusual exchange emerged during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, where Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) pressed Bessent about reports surrounding a confrontation between the two Trump administration officials during the summer of 2025.
According to Bessent, one key detail in the widely circulated account was inaccurate.
Seijah Drake was born in Boston, MA, where she developed a penchant for writing early on and a passion for politics in college. After college she worked briefly for a conservative media in New York before relocating to the Greater D.C. Area to pursue a career in political marketing. She now resides in the free state of Florida.
NATO and Putin’s bad assumptions. A former NATO Supreme Allied Commander takes aim at the Russian President’s less-than-perfect assumptions about invading Ukraine and the opportunity presented for NATO.
CHINA THREAT
MORE FORCEFUL POSTURE WOULD BE BETTER – Exclusive: Biden sends former top defense officials to Taiwan in show of support. U.S. President Joe Biden will send a delegation of former senior defense and security officials to Taiwan on Monday, a senior official of his administration said, a sign of support for the island claimed by China after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
What to know about Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s TV president turned wartime leader. Though Zelensky says he has become the Kremlin’s “target No. 1,” he has earned the respect of much of the Ukrainian public by refusing to flee the capital. Instead he has walked the streets of Kyiv and urged Ukrainians to resist, while crafting a successful communications strategy that has won the hearts and minds of European leaders and voters.
Russia says it won’t yield to sanctions pressure over Ukraine. Responding to a barrage of Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “They are counting on forcing us to change our position. This is out of the question.”
Russia’s unmanned playground & good battlefield germs. Russia used Syria as a laboratory to build better drones. An expert shows us how they achieved their unmanned capabilities and probiotics on the battlefield? How the U.S. Army wants soldiers to prep their guts for austere conditions.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korea says it tested cameras for spy satellite. North Korea said Monday it tested cameras to be installed on a spy satellite, a suggestion that it’ll likely soon conduct a banned long-range rocket launch to modernize its weapons arsenal and apply more pressure on the Biden administration.
IRAN THREAT
US, Iran split on key issues in nuclear talks. With a deadline to reach an agreement fast approaching, diplomats worry that the crisis in Ukraine could augment Tehran’s leverage in negotiations to restore the failed 2015 pact.
Iran’s Khamenei: ‘Mafia regime’ of US created Ukraine crisis. Iran wishes for the war in Ukraine to end but believes the crisis is rooted in the policies of the United States and other Western nations, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said.
REASSURING OR SCARY? German warplanes patrolling skies over Poland, air force says. A military spokesperson told Reuters the Eurofighter jets were flying missions out of Germany over Poland, a country that suffered severely under Nazi Germany in the last century.
MILITARY AND SPACE
Standup of Marine littoral regiment will usher new gear into Pacific theater. The U.S. Marine Corps this week will officially stand up its first Marine littoral regiment, a linchpin of its plans to conduct small-unit expeditionary advanced base operations and to move high-end gear into and throughout the Pacific.
Killing drones with Thor’s hammer: Air Force eyes counter-UAS ‘Mjölnir’ weapon. In Norse mythology, the thunder god Thor used his legendary hammer Mjölnir to slay giants. In the Avengers films, it was wielded by superheroes to battle the evil Thanos. But the Air Force is now working on its own Mjölnir, one it hopes will prove to be a revolutionary drone killer.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets, and an air defense system to
At American Liberty News, we eschew the mainstream media’s tightly controlled narrative to provide our readers with real news, real insights, and the means to take action. We seek out insightful coverage – and partner with knowledgeable and experienced people and organizations to bring you the information and insight our readers demand.
We humbly seek to provide the tools and information necessary for our readers to decide for themselves what is true and what is right.
PDB – Marines’ New Pacific Islands Fighters and Air Force’s Revolutionary New Weapon
Treasury Secretary Clarifies Threat Against Bill Pulte
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged Wednesday that he threatened to “kick ass” during a heated confrontation last year, while firmly denying reports that he threatened to punch the now-acting Director of National Intelligence “in the face.”
The unusual exchange emerged during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, where Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) pressed Bessent about reports surrounding a confrontation between the two Trump administration officials during the summer of 2025.
According to Bessent, one key detail in the widely circulated account was inaccurate.
While he denied threatening.
Seijah Drake
Seijah Drake was born in Boston, MA, where she developed a penchant for writing early on and a passion for politics in college. After college she worked briefly for a conservative media in New York before relocating to the Greater D.C. Area to pursue a career in political marketing. She now resides in the free state of Florida.
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Today’s PDB includes a variety of critical, global national security issues.
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NATIONAL SECURITY
Putin just pushed the world into an even bigger energy crisis. Even without sanctions, Russia’s war will increase the shortage of oil and gas.
NATO and Putin’s bad assumptions. A former NATO Supreme Allied Commander takes aim at the Russian President’s less-than-perfect assumptions about invading Ukraine and the opportunity presented for NATO.
CHINA THREAT
MORE FORCEFUL POSTURE WOULD BE BETTER – Exclusive: Biden sends former top defense officials to Taiwan in show of support. U.S. President Joe Biden will send a delegation of former senior defense and security officials to Taiwan on Monday, a senior official of his administration said, a sign of support for the island claimed by China after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine invasion tests the ties that bind Putin and Xi. The two autocrats have brought their countries closer together than ever. But for China, the costs of Russia’s adventurism could be high.
RUSSIA THREAT
What to know about Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s TV president turned wartime leader. Though Zelensky says he has become the Kremlin’s “target No. 1,” he has earned the respect of much of the Ukrainian public by refusing to flee the capital. Instead he has walked the streets of Kyiv and urged Ukrainians to resist, while crafting a successful communications strategy that has won the hearts and minds of European leaders and voters.
Russia says it won’t yield to sanctions pressure over Ukraine. Responding to a barrage of Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “They are counting on forcing us to change our position. This is out of the question.”
Russia’s unmanned playground & good battlefield germs. Russia used Syria as a laboratory to build better drones. An expert shows us how they achieved their unmanned capabilities and probiotics on the battlefield? How the U.S. Army wants soldiers to prep their guts for austere conditions.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korea says it tested cameras for spy satellite. North Korea said Monday it tested cameras to be installed on a spy satellite, a suggestion that it’ll likely soon conduct a banned long-range rocket launch to modernize its weapons arsenal and apply more pressure on the Biden administration.
IRAN THREAT
US, Iran split on key issues in nuclear talks. With a deadline to reach an agreement fast approaching, diplomats worry that the crisis in Ukraine could augment Tehran’s leverage in negotiations to restore the failed 2015 pact.
Iran’s Khamenei: ‘Mafia regime’ of US created Ukraine crisis. Iran wishes for the war in Ukraine to end but believes the crisis is rooted in the policies of the United States and other Western nations, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said.
HOMELAND SECURITY
National Guard on standby for State of the Union address. The fencing around the U.S. Capitol is back up for the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. The National Guard is on standby.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Italy joins growing list of weapon donors to help Ukraine’s defense. Italy on Monday joined a long list of countries promising weaponry to Ukraine as the East European country defends itself against an invasion by Russia.
REASSURING OR SCARY? German warplanes patrolling skies over Poland, air force says. A military spokesperson told Reuters the Eurofighter jets were flying missions out of Germany over Poland, a country that suffered severely under Nazi Germany in the last century.
MILITARY AND SPACE
Standup of Marine littoral regiment will usher new gear into Pacific theater. The U.S. Marine Corps this week will officially stand up its first Marine littoral regiment, a linchpin of its plans to conduct small-unit expeditionary advanced base operations and to move high-end gear into and throughout the Pacific.
Killing drones with Thor’s hammer: Air Force eyes counter-UAS ‘Mjölnir’ weapon. In Norse mythology, the thunder god Thor used his legendary hammer Mjölnir to slay giants. In the Avengers films, it was wielded by superheroes to battle the evil Thanos. But the Air Force is now working on its own Mjölnir, one it hopes will prove to be a revolutionary drone killer.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
Sponsored
Send a HeroBox Care Package Today!Paul Crespo
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
Paul Crespo
Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.
Treasury Secretary Clarifies Threat Against Bill Pulte
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At American Liberty News, we eschew the mainstream media’s tightly controlled narrative to provide our readers with real news, real insights, and the means to take action. We seek out insightful coverage – and partner with knowledgeable and experienced people and organizations to bring you the information and insight our readers demand.
We humbly seek to provide the tools and information necessary for our readers to decide for themselves what is true and what is right.
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