A model of the plasma focus is considered, in which large axial electric fields are induced by the imploding current sheet during the final few nanoseconds of the collapse phase. This field provides a mechanism for creation of a beam of electrons of highly suprathermal energies. For such a beam, having a power‐law energy spectrum, the bremsstrahlung radiation above 100 keV to be expected from it, both from electron‐deuteron collisions in the focused plasma itself and when the beam reaches the walls of the device, is calculated. The expected radiation from the walls is found to be several orders of magnitude higher than that from the plasma. Thus, since experimental evidence indicates that little or no radiation above 100 keV originates in the walls, the conclusion is drawn that the electrons in the beam must be decelerated after leaving the plasma and before reaching the walls. Upon comparison with experimental results, qualitative agreement of the expected angular distribution of hard x rays with experiment is found. The total energy in accelerated electrons required to produce the observed total energy in hard x rays by this mechanism is also reasonable when compared with the total energy of the device.