Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick a dressing down that greatly amused President Donald Trump, according to a new book.

On Monday’s edition of The Last Word, Lawrence O’Donnell interviewed reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, authors of the new book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.

Throughout the show, O’Donnell read several passages from the book, including one where early during the Iran war, the president took some time from focusing on the conflict to brag about ordering maple trees for the White House.

“I know how to buy good trees. Maples,” he said.

Another passage relays a tense moment at the White House involving Bessent and Lutnick on the topic of Ukrainian minerals:

“I’m not a big fan of Ukraine,” Trump said, “Except their women. They keep winning Miss Universe…”

Meanwhile, the Ukraine minerals deal was also causing considerable internal dissension in the administration, along with rivalry and backbiting at senior levels. Howard Lutnick had told the president that Scott Bessent had screwed up the deal. Bessent looked at Lutnick’s proposal. “This is a sh*tty deal. You’re an idiot,” he told Lutnick… Bessent went right back to the president and said, “Howard’s f*cked up the deal. I had an uncapped deal and we’re getting revenues, not earnings.” “Is that right?” Trump said. “They gave you that?” “Yes.” At that, Trump started mocking Lutnick, sometimes in front of others, enjoying the sport.

In April, Politico reported that Trump was considering firing Lutnick.

The Commerce secretary, who one administration official said is on “thin ice,” admitted in February that he and his family traveled to Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012, four years after Epstein was convicted of child sex trafficking. The secretary previously denied having any relationship with Epstein and stated that he “barely had anything to do with that person.”

Watch above via MS NOW.

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