President Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell made an awkward pair Thursday as they toured a grossly over-budget renovation of the central bank’s headquarters near the White House — with Trump initally hinting he might fire Powell before saying later he would not.
“Mr. President, as a real estate developer, how would you deal with a project manager who is over budget?” The Post asked Trump after he and a grim-faced Powell approached the press wearing hard hats before examining the $2.5 billion project.
“Generally speaking, what would I do? I’d fire them,” Trump, 79, said as the Fed chair, 72, looked on.
“I don’t want to be personal,” the president added in response to a follow-up question. “I just would like to see it get finished.”
After completing a site tour, Trump approached the press again without the embattled central banker and said he’s not planning to fire Powell — but premised that decision on Powell lowering interest rates.
“That is a big move, and I just don’t think it’s necessary. And I believe that he’s going to do the right thing,” Trump said,
The real estate developer turned politician said it felt “really good” to be back on a construction site — before lambasting the “very luxurious” project and what he said were costly mistakes, such as retroactively adding “very expensive” underground parking beneath historic structures.
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Author: Marty Kaufmann
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