President Donald Trump openly taunted Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called him an “idiot” and reported to the president that Lutnick had “f**ked up” a minerals deal with Ukraine, according to a new book.
On Monday, MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell read an excerpt from “Regime Change” by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. The excerpt began with a Trumpian sexist note: “I’m not a big fan of Ukraine,” Trump said, “except their women. They keep winning Miss Universe.”
Internal Dissension Over Ukraine Minerals Deal
It was Ukraine that provoked Trump’s treasury secretary to call his commerce secretary an idiot. The Ukraine minerals deal caused 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 shitty deal. You’re an idiot,” he told Lutnick, according to the book. Bessent went directly to the president and said, “Howard’s fucked 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,” Bessent replied.
Trump Mocks Lutnick Publicly
At that, Trump started mocking Lutnick sometimes in front of others, enjoying the sport, the book reports.
In April 2025, the U.S. and Ukraine reached an agreement to give the U.S. access to the embattled nation’s minerals and natural resources. Ukraine in turn would be given a reconstruction fund that officials there hoped would ensure U.S. assistance in Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia’s invasion.
Lutnick Faces Scrutiny
Lutnick could be on Trump’s chopping block, Politico reported in April. He invited further scrutiny in May when House Democrats accused him of lying in testimony about his relationship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lutnick had previously admitted to traveling to Epstein’s island with his family in 2012, four years after Epstein’s conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
