Scott Bessent Faces Scrutiny

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent faced scrutiny after a Wall Street Journal investigation described him as prone to angry outbursts toward staff and senior officials. CodePink activists confronted Bessent at a Washington restaurant over U.S. sanctions; after calling them “ignorant,” he allegedly berated the owner for not removing them, spat into his food and left. The scrutiny follows tension inside Treasury, including a January episode in which Bessent reportedly yelled at Treasury official John Hurley over the pace of a fraud inquiry President Trump had requested. Bessent denied throwing his daily briefing binder against a wall and disputed some incidents. The White House defended his leadership.