Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Invokes Hamilton in “Dueling” Quip
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, in a recent interview, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made headlines for a historical quip that sheds light on the internal dynamics of the Trump administration. Responding to a report that he threatened to punch Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte, Bessent joked that Treasury leaders “have a history of dueling,” referencing none other than Alexander Hamilton.
The comment quickly went viral, as Bessent used it to downplay the reported feuds and frame the administration’s internal clashes as a natural part of policymaking, a tradition as old as the nation itself.
Inside the “Locker Room”: A Look at the Administration’s Dynamics
Bessent’s remarks offered a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world of the White House. He drew a parallel between the advisors and a sports team, where intense “locker room” arguments ultimately lead to a unified effort for the president and the American public.
He also recalled a specific, heated argument with tech mogul Elon Musk outside the Oval Office in April over IRS policies. By framing this as typical policymaking friction, Bessent sought to normalize the often-contentious environment within the administration.
Confidence in Trade and Economic Policy
Beyond the political quips, Bessent, a veteran of the hedge fund world, expressed optimism about a major policy goal: securing a reciprocal tariff deal with China. He stated his confidence that a deal could be reached before the November deadline, a key priority for the administration.
Bessent’s candid remarks paint a picture of an administration where internal disagreements are fierce but, in his view, ultimately lead to a unified front. By invoking a historical figure like Hamilton, he sought to normalize the political infighting as an age-old tradition rather than a modern spectacle.
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Hamilton was a rare bird and we should be happy we had him – brilliant, but had a vicious ego and hatred about him toward his political enemies that ultimately got him killed – (I didn’t say murdered)
This guy isn’t that.
Bessent is hilarious when being grilled by Congress.
Alexander Hamilton was in favor of a federal centralized banking system. How’d that work out? Hahahahaha
I’ll take Jefferson over Hamilton any day of the week
yes a democrat slave owner?
I like Jefferson cause he understood our country better than any politician. He knew that a federal banking system would be the beginning of the end. This led to the federal reserve in 1913 then ww1 and ww2 Korea vietnam Cold War and then in 1971 US dollar no longer backed by gold. Staggering sky high inflation and over 35 billion dollars in national debt.
Jefferson wanted more power and control to go to the states which makes a lot of sense especially now since Covid the federal reserve is not even a branch of the government it’s just a bunch of the world richest bankers establishing our interest rates and basically shortening the value of the dollar