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.
President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 11, 2022, to announce a final version of his administration's ghost gun rule, which comes with the White House and the Justice Department under growing pressure to crack down on gun deaths. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
⏱ 7 minute read
WEDNESDAY PDB – Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) says – We can’t trust Biden to stand with Israel, lead America on the world stage. Joe Biden has shown the American people that he will pander to his antisemitic base over supporting Israel, one of America’s greatest allies and the only democracy in the Middle East.
AND HE IS RIGHT.
One of his first actions was to resurrect the failed Iran deal, and since then he has greenlit billions of dollars in sanctions relief to Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. His pandering can be seen in our cities and on college campuses, where radical extremists rally violently in support of Hamas and the extermination of the Jewish people.
This cancer has taken over the Democratic Party and caused violence against our Jewish communities. Biden has made clear with his decisions that the American people cannot trust his administration. I certainly do not, which is why I am highly concerned that without proper safeguards, the Biden administration will use this aid package as leverage against Israel.
The US could ban TikTok. These countries have already blocked or restricted it. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to ban or force a sale of TikTok, driven by concerns over the popular video sharing app’s Chinese ownership. Once it is signed, TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, will have roughly nine months to sell the app or face a national ban.
Now is not the time to scale back on the B-21 bomber program. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin made headlines when he hedged about the ultimate size of the B-21 Raider buy, explaining that new technologies may supplant the aircraft by the late 2030s.
JBADS helps air base guard against germs — and a lot more. As the COVID-19 pandemic showed the world, nobody is immune to the spread of disease. For members of the U.S. military protecting the country, the risks of exposure to contaminants involve more threats than the coronavirus.
Maine sheriff’s deputy says Army downplayed concerns about Lewiston shooter. The Sagadahoc County, Maine, deputy who has faced criticism for failing to prevent Maine’s deadliest mass shooting says he could have done more — if Army Reserve leaders had told him the full truth about the danger Robert Card posed to the community.
US military aircraft lands in Haiti. Pentagon says it’s supplies, personnel for the embassy. Team Biden finally sent sorely needed reinforcements to Haiti on Tuesday, weeks after notifying Congress it would be providing millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and ammunition to help Haiti National Police officers take on ruthless gangs.
Why a C-130J Crew Braved a 26 Hour Flight to Guam. An Air Force Super Hercules crew braved a long flight around half the planet earlier this month as part of an experiment testing how quickly they could respond to a crisis in the Indo-Pacific.
THEY DIED IN THE WAR – THEY HAD TO BE BURIED. UN calls for investigation into mass graves found at Gaza hospitals. Its leaders demanded a “clear, transparent and credible” investigation Tuesday after mass graves containing the bodies of hundreds of people were discovered on the grounds of two major hospitals in Gaza occupied by Hamas that were previously under assault by the Israeli military.
LOL! – Blinken will urge China to stop sending military supplies to Russia. Amid growing U.S. worries that Russia’s war on Ukraine is being made possible by Chinese support for Moscow’s defense industry, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in China on Wednesday to push Beijing to cut ties with the Kremlin.
AXIS OF EVIL – North Korea sends a delegation to Iran in a growing effort to break its diplomatic isolation. A high-level economic delegation was on its way to Iran, for what would be the two countries’ first known talks since the start of COVID-19. North Korea’s leader is pushing to build up cooperation with other rogue states confronting the U.S., as his intensified weapons tests prompted the U.S. and South Korea to expand their military drills.
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.
Biden Can’t Be Trusted To Back Israel And Lead America Globally
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.
GOP-Led House Approves Iran War Powers Resolution In Rebuke To Trump
Six Thousand Complaints, 27 Investigations: The Federal Whistleblower Shield Exposed
California Tech CEO Arrested For Allegedly Supplying US Equipment To Iran’s Nuclear Program
Ohio Supreme Court Decision Could Affect Thousands Seeking Firearm Rights
WEDNESDAY PDB – Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) says – We can’t trust Biden to stand with Israel, lead America on the world stage. Joe Biden has shown the American people that he will pander to his antisemitic base over supporting Israel, one of America’s greatest allies and the only democracy in the Middle East.
AND HE IS RIGHT.
One of his first actions was to resurrect the failed Iran deal, and since then he has greenlit billions of dollars in sanctions relief to Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. His pandering can be seen in our cities and on college campuses, where radical extremists rally violently in support of Hamas and the extermination of the Jewish people.
This cancer has taken over the Democratic Party and caused violence against our Jewish communities. Biden has made clear with his decisions that the American people cannot trust his administration. I certainly do not, which is why I am highly concerned that without proper safeguards, the Biden administration will use this aid package as leverage against Israel.
READ THE REST OF SEN. SCOTT’S PIECE HERE.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
NATIONAL SECURITY
The US could ban TikTok. These countries have already blocked or restricted it. The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed legislation to ban or force a sale of TikTok, driven by concerns over the popular video sharing app’s Chinese ownership. Once it is signed, TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, will have roughly nine months to sell the app or face a national ban.
Now is not the time to scale back on the B-21 bomber program. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin made headlines when he hedged about the ultimate size of the B-21 Raider buy, explaining that new technologies may supplant the aircraft by the late 2030s.
Dear Pentagon: Quit screwing around and buy the Ripsaw tank from ‘Fate of the Furious’ already. Tanks, high-speed drift battles on ice and Ludacris make sense in a summer blockbuster created to smash ticket sales at the box office. Any red-blooded American service member can tell you that it sounds like one hell of a way to dominate an area of operations, too.
HOMELAND SECURITY
JBADS helps air base guard against germs — and a lot more. As the COVID-19 pandemic showed the world, nobody is immune to the spread of disease. For members of the U.S. military protecting the country, the risks of exposure to contaminants involve more threats than the coronavirus.
New Hampshire National Guard encounters new challenges at Texas border. Two weeks into their mission in Eagle Pass, Texas, Guard soldiers said they are seeing more attempts to cross the border illegally than expected.
Maine sheriff’s deputy says Army downplayed concerns about Lewiston shooter. The Sagadahoc County, Maine, deputy who has faced criticism for failing to prevent Maine’s deadliest mass shooting says he could have done more — if Army Reserve leaders had told him the full truth about the danger Robert Card posed to the community.
POLITICS
Biden’s new chopper is demoted after scorching White House lawn. It has been demoted to backup duty because Lockheed Martin Corp. still can’t figure out how to keep it from burning the grass.
Biden urged to send ATACMS along with air defense systems to Ukraine. Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the U.S. will send badly needed air defense weaponry once the Senate approves a massive national security aid package that includes $61 billion for Ukraine. (RELATED: Biden Sends New Long-Range Weapons To Ukraine)
US POWER OVERSEAS
US military aircraft lands in Haiti. Pentagon says it’s supplies, personnel for the embassy. Team Biden finally sent sorely needed reinforcements to Haiti on Tuesday, weeks after notifying Congress it would be providing millions of dollars’ worth of weapons and ammunition to help Haiti National Police officers take on ruthless gangs.
Why a C-130J Crew Braved a 26 Hour Flight to Guam. An Air Force Super Hercules crew braved a long flight around half the planet earlier this month as part of an experiment testing how quickly they could respond to a crisis in the Indo-Pacific.
The US — and its troops abroad — are vulnerable to low-flying drones. Last year, Americans watched, transfixed, as a Chinese spy balloon the size of several school buses made its way across the U.S. before it was finally shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
SECNAV floats idea of co-production with foreign shipyards. Del Toro has repeatedly praised shipbuilders in South Korea and Japan for their abilities to keep construction efforts on time.
ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS
THEY DIED IN THE WAR – THEY HAD TO BE BURIED. UN calls for investigation into mass graves found at Gaza hospitals. Its leaders demanded a “clear, transparent and credible” investigation Tuesday after mass graves containing the bodies of hundreds of people were discovered on the grounds of two major hospitals in Gaza occupied by Hamas that were previously under assault by the Israeli military.
CHINA THREAT
China dissolves Strategic Support Force, focused on cyber and space. China has disbanded and replaced its Strategic Support Force, a pivotal component of the People’s Liberation Army’s modernization efforts.
LOL! – Blinken will urge China to stop sending military supplies to Russia. Amid growing U.S. worries that Russia’s war on Ukraine is being made possible by Chinese support for Moscow’s defense industry, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in China on Wednesday to push Beijing to cut ties with the Kremlin.
In a Taiwan conflict, tough choices could come for Big Tech. Washington could do more to incentivize tech companies to distance themselves from China, but CEOs should examine how they’d react to a fight in the Pacific.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
In Ukraine, new American technology won the day. Until it was overwhelmed. Project Maven is meant to revolutionize modern warfare. But the conflict in Ukraine has underscored how difficult it is to get 21st-century data into 19th-century trenches.
Russian deputy defense minister is detained on bribery charges. Timur Ivanov, who has long been in charge of major military construction projects and known for leading a lavish lifestyle, was held Tuesday on charges of “large scale” corruption.
UK government unveils $620 million top-up in Ukraine military aid. This, as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak starts a two-day visit to Germany and Poland.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
AXIS OF EVIL – North Korea sends a delegation to Iran in a growing effort to break its diplomatic isolation. A high-level economic delegation was on its way to Iran, for what would be the two countries’ first known talks since the start of COVID-19. North Korea’s leader is pushing to build up cooperation with other rogue states confronting the U.S., as his intensified weapons tests prompted the U.S. and South Korea to expand their military drills.
BIDEN’S AFGHAN DISASTER
New evidence challenges the Pentagon’s account of a deadly attack as the US withdrew from Afghanistan. New video evidence focuses on the ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the reckless Biden troop retreat in August 2021.
US MILITARY
See an Apache helicopter unleash a Hellfire missile at a truck during live-fire exercise.
The Navy isn’t sure when its badly needed ‘mini’ carrier USS Boxer will get repaired. No quick fix is in the offing for the amphibious assault ship that experienced mechanical problems in early April, forcing it to return to San Diego 10 days after deploying to the Indo-Pacific.
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.
READ NEXT: Assault Rifle Owners: You Are Part Of The Solution
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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