Bessent Told Lutnick He Was 'An Idiot' Over Ukraine Minerals Deal

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confronted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick directly over a minerals agreement with Ukraine, according to a forthcoming book by two New York Times reporters.

Bessent called Lutnick 'an idiot' to his face during a dispute over a Ukraine minerals deal, a new book claims.
The account comes from a book authored by two journalists at The New York Times.
The clash puts two senior Cabinet secretaries in open conflict over a high-stakes foreign economic deal.
Neither the Treasury Department nor the Commerce Department has publicly responded to the account.
The book's full publication date and title have not yet been confirmed by the Wail.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick “an idiot” directly to his face during a dispute over a minerals deal with Ukraine, according to a book by two New York Times journalists reviewed ahead of publication.

The confrontation, as described in the book, marks one of the sharpest on-record clashes between senior members of the current Cabinet, with Bessent levelling the insult at Lutnick in person over the handling of the agreement.

The Ukraine minerals deal has been a pressure point inside the administration, with competing agencies jostling for control over its terms and implementation.

Neither the Treasury Department nor the Commerce Department issued a statement to the Wail by the time of publication. Lutnick's office did not confirm or deny the exchange.

The book, authored by two Times reporters, is expected to draw further disclosures about internal administration disputes when it publishes. The Wail will report additional details as the publication date is confirmed.