Nicolai Haugsted
Trump jokes about his Treasury chief’s temperament as unusual number of senior officials head for the exits.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, one of the president’s most trusted economic officials, is facing fresh scrutiny over his leadership style after more than 30 current and former officials and associates described a workplace marked by angry confrontations, staff turnover and employees trying to gauge their boss’s mood before approaching him.
The account, published Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal, portrays a secretary whose temper has become familiar enough around Treasury that colleagues reportedly share advice about when it might be better to keep their distance. Bessent has disputed at least one specific allegation about his behavior, while the White House has strongly defended his leadership.
Trump, meanwhile, has found a rather different way of describing his Treasury chief.
“I created a monster,” the president joked earlier this year.
Staff reportedly learn to read the room
Bessent took over Treasury in early 2025 after a career in investment management and quickly became a central figure in Trump’s economic agenda.
According to the Journal, his demanding approach has sometimes come with explosive confrontations.
Staff members reportedly check with colleagues about Bessent’s mood before meetings and exchange advice about avoiding him when he is angry. Some employees were said to feel noticeably more relaxed whenever the secretary was away from the building.
One confrontation reportedly involved John Hurley, who served as Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence.
Bessent allegedly yelled and cursed at Hurley in January over what he regarded as insufficient progress on an investigation requested by Trump. Staff nearby could reportedly hear the exchange.
Hurley later left Treasury for an ambassadorship.
Another alleged episode involved something considerably less consequential than international finance.
The Journal reported that Bessent became furious over a poorly organized daily briefing book last year and threw the binder against a wall. Bessent denied that incident.
Turnover provides a measurable problem
Stories about shouting matches can be disputed. Treasury’s unusually high turnover is easier to quantify.
Seven Senate-confirmed officials had departed the department by the end of August, according to data from the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service cited by the Journal.
Comparable periods under the four previous administrations saw between zero and two departures. Only one of the recent vacancies under Bessent had subsequently been filled by another Senate-confirmed official when the Journal published its report.
Earlier reporting put the scale another way: seven of Trump’s 16 Senate-confirmed Treasury appointees had either resigned or been pushed out by August, amounting to roughly 44 percent.
Bessent’s temperament is not necessarily the explanation for every departure. Previous reporting has linked some exits to policy and legal disagreements with the administration, while other officials have left for different reasons.
The Journal nevertheless reported that Bessent’s management reputation has complicated recruitment, with some potential hires deciding against Treasury jobs after hearing accounts of how he treats staff.
Steve Bannon acknowledges a ‘tripwire’
Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon did not dispute that Bessent can lose his temper.
“He’s a good person, but he’s got a tripwire and he’s got a temper,” Bannon told the Journal.
Bannon also offered a considerably blunter description of the attitude employees should expect.
“If your feelings are hurt, I’m sorry, but get the f— out of here,” he said.
Bessent’s reported confrontations have not been confined to Treasury.
The Journal revisited his well-publicized clash with Elon Musk, when the pair reportedly engaged in a heated West Wing argument and had to be separated.
Another confrontation reportedly involved Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, whom Bessent allegedly threatened during a private dinner.
Trump appears entertained rather than concerned
None of the reported drama appears to have seriously damaged Bessent’s relationship with the president.
Trump reportedly speaks with his Treasury secretary almost every day, while Bessent remains deeply involved in administration policy ranging from sanctions and taxes to trade and financial markets.
Trump publicly teased him during an April event in Nevada, describing Bessent as difficult while also taking some credit for his rise.
“I created a monster,” Trump joked.
The line now reads somewhat differently alongside the Journal’s account of Treasury employees monitoring Bessent’s moods and senior officials heading for the exits.
Trump, however, has continued to place considerable trust in his Treasury chief.
White House praises Bessent’s approach
Administration officials rejected the suggestion that the reported workplace tensions undermine Bessent’s record.
“The level of professionalism and accountability Secretary Bessent has instilled department-wide is one of the great accomplishments of this administration,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told the Journal.
Treasury offered a similarly supportive assessment.
A department spokesman said Bessent “has high expectations of the United States Treasury’s performance,” although the statement did not directly address the Journal’s allegations about his treatment of employees.
Bessent therefore remains firmly inside Trump’s inner circle despite the personnel churn around him.
For Treasury employees, according to the Journal’s reporting, the more immediate calculation can apparently be simpler: check the boss’s mood before opening the door.
