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Trump Confronts Fed Chair Over $3.1 Billion Renovation in Rare Washington Visit

Trump toured the Fed’s multibillion-dollar renovation with Jerome Powell, disputed its cost estimates, ruling out dismissing the chair before his term ends

Overview

  • Trump’s July 24 visit to the Fed’s Washington headquarters marked only the fourth time a sitting president has toured the central bank’s facilities
  • During a hard-hat tour, Trump challenged Chair Jerome Powell’s cost overruns, insisting the renovation budget had swelled to roughly $3.1 billion, above the Fed’s $2.5 billion figure
  • Despite past threats to fire Powell, the president said he will not dismiss him before his term expires in May even as aides explore legal grounds for removal
  • White House officials led by OMB Director Russell Vought and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have publicly demanded internal reviews of the Fed’s non-monetary expenditures
  • The Fed, citing security upgrades and tariff-driven inflation risks, remains on track to hold its benchmark rate at about 4.3 percent at its July 30 policy meeting