Trump Slams Fed’s ‘Wasteful’ Renovation As Powell Pushes Back In Helmet Showdown

It was hard hats, heat, and headlines as U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell clashed publicly over the spiralling cost of the Fed’s Washington HQ renovation. Trump claimed the project ballooned to $3.1 billion — only to be corrected by Powell in real time. The President fired off his signature line, “I’d fire him,” referring to such cost overruns. Powell hit back, saying Trump added costs from a third building completed five years ago. With a rate-setting meeting just days away and political pressure mounting, the Fed’s independence is once again under fire. The rare confrontation reveals deepening tensions between the White House and America’s top monetary policymaker.