Trump Called His Own Commerce Secretary a ‘P*ssy’ in Heated Tariff Fight: New Book

President Donald Trump, left, listens as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., Sunday, July 6, 2025, en route to Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

President Donald Trump torched Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a disagreement on tariffs, calling him a “p*ssy,” according to a new book.

The incident reportedly occurred in April 2025 when Lutnick was trying to convince Trump that tariffs would not put U.S. auto companies at a “disadvantage, and Trump informed Lutnick that he used to be a “killer,” but had become a “p*ssy” in the years since.

“You used to be a killer, Howard,” the president said, according to the upcoming book Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan. “I remember when you were 35, you were a killer. And now you’ve got your beautiful wife, and your big house, and you’re just soft. And you’re a p*ssy. You know what you are? You’re a p*ssy.”

The book, which was obtained by CNN and Politico, is based on more than 1,000 interviews over a three-year research period. Both Habberman and Swan also sat down with Trump. Quotes in the book, according to the authors, come the person speaking, a direct witness, or “contemporaneous notes, recordings, or transcripts.”

According to the book, Lutnick later turned Trump’s insult around when revenue from tariffs began rolling in, informing the president he was his “twenty-five-billion-dollar-a-month p*ssy.”

White House spokesperson Kush Desai responded to the Lutnick tale with a statement, saying, “The President has always sought the best and brightest individuals for his Administration, and Secretary Lutnick and President Trump continue to work closely together to deliver trillions of dollars in investments for the American people.”

Other standout details from the book include that White House staff was allegedly monitoring the president’s trash because he was throwing away high-end silverware and leaving late-night messes.

“A nighttime snacker, the President would frequently leave an array of empty potato chip bags, Starbucks wrappers, and ice cream cartons in the trash, or on the floor,” the book reads.

Another odd instance from the book includes Trump allegedly bragging that he was more powerful than Adolf Hitler.

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