Source: Global Times

【Global Times Report】According to U.S. "Politico" and CNN, among other media outlets, on September 8, during a private dinner attended by dozens of U.S. government officials and close advisors to President Trump, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had a heated conflict with Bill Poole, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, during which Yellen reportedly swore at him and threatened to "beat his face up".

Janet Yellen Photo Source: Foreign Media

"Politico" reported that the dinner held on the night of September 3 was originally a celebration, with attendees including U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Commerce Secretary Brian Montgomery, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. CNN added that the event took place at the "Executive Club." This club was founded by several of Trump's close advisors and is an organization supporting the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement.

Bill Poole Photo Source: Foreign Media

"Politico" reported that during the cocktail hour, Yellen swore at Poole. According to people close to Yellen, she learned from multiple sources that Poole had been spreading negative things about her to Trump. "Why are you telling the president about me? Go to hell," Yellen shouted at Poole, "I'm going to beat your face up."

Three informed sources said that Poole was stunned, and the tense situation prompted Omid Malik, co-founder of the Executive Club, to intervene. However, Yellen did not back down and even demanded that Poole be removed from the scene, saying, "Either he leaves or I do. Tell me who gets kicked out."

Yellen then added, "Or we can go outside and settle it." Poole asked, "Where to?" Yellen replied, "No. I'm going to beat you up."

The report continued that to ease the situation, Malik separated the two and took Yellen to another part of the club to calm her down. During the dinner, Yellen and Poole were seated at opposite ends of the table, and no further incidents occurred.

"Politico" reported that Yellen, Poole, Malik, and the White House declined to comment on the allegations.

"Politico" commented that this conflict, described by insiders in Trump's team as "crazy" and "uncontrolled," highlighted unexpected tensions between high-ranking officials responsible for handling the most sensitive economic affairs in the United States.

The report stated that Trump announced in May that Yellen, Montgomery, and Poole would jointly develop a privatization plan for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (collectively known as "the two Fannies"). However, four insiders in the Trump administration revealed that Yellen and Poole were engaged in some sort of "territorial dispute" over the two Fannies and other economic matters. According to insiders, Yellen believed Poole was meddling in areas within her jurisdiction, while Poole was frustrated because he felt he might be sidelined.

According to insiders within the Trump administration who closely followed this dramatic event, more complexly, Poole had a close relationship with Montgomery. Since the transition of power, Montgomery and Yellen have had tense relations—both had competed for the position of Treasury Secretary. This made any collaboration among the three shrouded in suspicion. According to people close to Yellen, Yellen considered herself overwhelmed with work and unable to deal with such backstabbing, but she finally exploded when she saw Poole.

Additionally, Yellen and Poole held opposing views on whether the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell should be fired. Yellen privately warned that such a move would destabilize the financial markets, while Poole repeatedly called for Powell's resignation.

The report noted that this incident was not the first time Yellen had had a direct confrontation with colleagues in the Trump administration. According to U.S. media reports, in April of this year, Yellen had a fierce argument with Elon Musk, a businessman and then-head of the Department of Government Efficiency, over issues related to the IRS. Yellen criticized Musk for making overly optimistic promises about cutting the budget of the Department of Government Efficiency without fulfilling them. Musk retaliated, calling Yellen an "agent of Soros" and running a "failed hedge fund."

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7547911140836131382/

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