Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
WATCH: ‘I’d love to fire his ass,’ Trump says of Powell, threatens Bessent over interest rates
Posted
November 19, 2025
Views
5,399
Likes
60
Engagement
1.11%
November 19, 2025
5,399
60
1.11%
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President Donald Trump repeated his attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, saying he’d ‘love to fire his ass’ and threatening to do the same to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
“I'll be honest, I'd love to fire his ass," Trump said, referencing the Fed chair during a speech at the U.S.-Saudi Business Forum.. "He should be fined. The guy's grossly incompetent, and he should be sued for spending $4 billion to build a little building,” Trump added, referring to renovations at the Federal Reserve headquarters that are estimated to cost $2.5 billion.
“You got to work on him, Scott. The only thing Scott's blowing it on is the Fed. Because the Fed rates are too high, Scott, and if you don't get it fixed fast, I'm going to fire your ass,” Trump said.
Powell has been a frequent target of Trump, who has blamed the chair of the independent Federal Reserve for not lowering interest rates fast enough. He has also fixated on the Federal Reserve’s renovation of two of its buildings, which have gone over the 2022 estimated cost of $1.9 billion. Trump has reportedly interviewed replacements for Powell, whose term as Federal Reserve chair ends in May 2026. Trump said on Tuesday that he had wanted to fire Powell but “people are holding me back.”
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