'You just added a third building': Powell fact checks Trump's Fed renovation as awkward hard-hat visit turns tense

[riversedge]

Source: independent.com






Federal Reserve chair wasn’t fazed by Trump’s attempt to bully him in front of press
Andrew Feinberg

Thursday 24 July 2025 16:51 EDT



President Donald Trump’s attempt to shame Federal Reserve Board of Governors chair Jerome Powell over the cost of a long-running renovation to the central bank’s Washington headquarters went horribly wrong on Thursday when Powell had a ready response for the president’s accusations during a tour of the construction site.

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Trump said the cost of the years-long project was now “about $3.1 billion” rather than the $2.7 billion previously stated by Powell.

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The chairman replied: “I haven’t heard that from anybody” and asked if the paper Trump was reading from came from the central bank.

At that point, Trump handed him the paper and continued talking while Powell pulled out his reading glasses to look.

He then told the president that the higher number he was claiming included a separate project that wasn’t part of the renovation at issue.

“You just added in a third building,” he said.

When Trump replied...................
More follows...

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-powell-fed-renovation-meeting-b2795600.html

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The title of this story should be:
TRUMP MAKES A FOOL OF HIMSELF AGAIN ON NATIONAL TV!!!
Powell knows how to handle a third grader who lies.

Please read the entire article--short but sweet. --I laughed out loud with Powell's expression when Trump told him a big whopper!!!

Link to tweet

Olga Nesterova
@onestpress
Just watch this. Here Trump makes up a higher number for the new fed building construction, Powell factchecks him - you just added the building that was finished 5 years ago!

Link to tweet

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. I would like to watch it but I can't my heart literally can't stand it

Have just read Mark Elias democracy docket outlining basically how millions of voters will not be voting in any future elections because of the unconstitutional attack on voting, I have no hope for the future at all and every time I see the piece of shit my heart wants to explode But another part of me wants to do something else😡

[Deuxcents]

2. Chairman Powell did not back down as TSF just kept on spouting disinformation.

[reACTIONary]

3. Powell knows how to read... .

... a balance sheet and can actually add and subtract.

[ancianita]

4. Any time the lying felon's stupidity is outed on air is a good day.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. This was the opening footage on the CBS Evening News tonight

Last edited Thu Jul 24, 2025, 08:02 PM - Edit history (1)

for about thirty seconds, just long enough for Trump to declare that the cost was up to 3.1 billion. Then the video was cut off. The part where Powell points out Trump is wrong was not shown.

[MLWR]

10. Yes. I watched CBS News tonight.

Unbelievable. Walter Cronkite is doing whirlies in his grave. ABC did show the entire clip. CBS should be ashamed.

[littlemissmartypants]

12. No shame involved when you sell your soul to the devil.

[NJCher]

15. I watched ABC and yes, they showed the entire clip

Here's what I saw:

Powell knew a set up was coming. He even looked annoyed at having to be there.

The building is being re-habbed and not with taxpayer money (they didn't say where the money was coming from, but I am checking that). Trump was trying to make it look like there was a cost overrun because of Powell's handling, since it is the Federal Reserve. That's why he was there was Scott. He was trying to make it look like he was calling Powell out for mismanagement.

If you notice what Scott says, he barely understands his part in the poorly conceived facade. He stumbles over his words and expresses himself very clumsily.

Powell, on the other hand, can barely tolerate being with this crass asshole trump, and immediately begins correcting trump by shaking his head in disagreement as trump tries to create this appearance that there is an even more substantial cost overrun that the supposed amount cited by Scott in the beginning.

It takes Powell about 2 seconds to see what trump is doing, and he explains that to the cameras by saying that he's added another building into the mix! "You just added in a third building is what that is." The look of disgust on his face is palpable.

Trump then stupidly says, " "It's a building that's being built." Now WTF is that supposed to mean?
Answer: a big fat nothing because trump is to stupid to respond when he's caught in the act of trying to cast aspersions on somone like Powell.

I like the way Powell treats trump because it's the same way the Canadian prime minister, Carney, treats him: with thinly veiled contempt and a very distinct overtone that trump is a waste of time that he wishes he didn't have to deal with.

[3catwoman3]

16. "...this crass asshole trump...

How about a new word - crasshole.

[yardwork]

19. That is disgraceful.

[TexasBushwhacker]

6. Jesus Christ on a pogo stick

How many projects has Trump has with cost overruns? How much did he lose on converting the DC post office into a luxury hotel, which he sold to Waldorf Astoria.

[timms139]

7. It's a wonder he

didn't ask Powell to cheat the contractors out of their money to cut costs .

[Ilsa]

9. It's my understanding that that tax dollars are not

used for the Fed project, or am I mistaken. Doesn't the Federal Reserve have its own budget?

[LudwigPastorius]

14. Correct.

The Fed budget comes from a portion of the interest paid on the government securities it holds. The rest of that money goes to the U.S. Treasury.

[DallasNE]

11. From The Dates

The "third building" would have been completed late in Trump's first term as President. That is what makes it so damning.

[SunSeeker]

13. That fact check was superb! "That building was completed 5 years ago."

In other words, that building was constructed during Trump's first term.

Bravo, Chairman Powell!

[mwb970]

17. People need to add the phrase "You're confused" to their real-time in-person fact checks of trump.

He seems touchy about his mental decline. Let's throw it at him every chance we get.

[Kid Berwyn]

18. Note the head shaking and eye rolling.

Very expressive reaction to a crazy rambling imbecile.

It will not go unnoticed in the Spite Haus.

Steven Miller’s gonna put poor Powell back on the chopping block.