Scott Bessent spat in his food after protesters confronted him at restaurant, threw binders, yelled at officials, claims report

A Wall Street Journal report has claimed that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spat in his own food and stormed out of a Washington, D.C., restaurant after being confronted by anti-war protesters. The report is part of a larger investigation into Bessent's management style and work conduct in the 20 months in office in the administration of President Donald Trump.

What happened with Bessent in the DC restaurant?

Last December, Code Pink members interrupted Bessent's dinner. The activist group criticised the Trump administration's use of economic sanctions. Describing the protesters as ignorant, Bessent got angry with the restaurant's owner for failing to remove them. As per the owner and a nearby diner, Bessent then spat in his food before leaving, claimed the WSJ report.

Also read: Bessent meets China’s He Lifeng to prepare for Trump-Xi summit

Bessent is on short fuse? What his aides think of him

The paper called this evidence of Bessent's volatile temperament, with its report relying on interviews with more than 30 current and former officials. In the high-pressure environment at the Treasury Department, aides discuss Bessent's mood before approaching him, and they feel relieved when he is away from the office, said the report.

It also calimed that Bessent's behaviour was a factor in the departure of several senior officials.

Binders fly in Bessent's Treasury office

Bessent became angry over the organisation of his daily briefing book and threw a binder containing papers against a wall, an account he denied to the Journal.

In January, he confronted John Hurley, then undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, over the pace of a probe into alleged fraud in Minnesota's Somali community. Bessent yelled profanities at Hurley so that staff nearby could hear, claimed the report.

Hurley later left the Treasury and was appointed the US envoy to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The Journal reported that seven Senate-confirmed Treasury officials left the department by the end of August, compared with zero to two departures during similar periods under the previous four administrations, even as several key positions remain vacant.

Also read: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hails global crackdown on Iranian banks and airlines

Bessent has Trump's backing despite not delivering on promises and plans

Bessent had been promoting Trump's "3-3-3" economic strategy: 3 per cent GDP growth, a budget deficit at 3 per cent of GDP by 2028, and three million barrels of additional daily oil production. Currently, however, the GDP growth of US has remained around 2 per cent, oil output has risen by less than one million barrels a day, and the deficit is above 6 per cent of GDP. US government debt meanwhile, surpassed $40 trillion.

But Trump has said he likes Bessent's "feisty public persona". Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon described Bessent as a good person with a "a tripwire and ... a temper".

The Treasury Department meanwhile defended Bessent, saying he approaches the job with "responsibility and urgency" and has high expectations for the department. The White House defended his management style, citing professionalism and accountability.