Trump appointees supported more marble in Fed renovation now under White House scrutiny  | World News

US President Donald Trump is questioning Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the cost of renovating the Fed’s horic headquarters but records show that Trump’s own appointees had pushed for more expensive design changes, including the use of white marble.According to The Associated Press (AP), minutes from planning meetings in 2020 show that three Trump appointees to the Commission of Fine Arts had called for the building’s new design to include “white Georgia marble” to match its original 1930s look. The Fed’s original plan had proposed using more glass to reflect “transparency,” but the design was changed in response to the commission’s objections.
“They thought marble fit better with the building’s horic character,” Harvard professor Alex Krieger, a former commission member, told AP. He added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the result costs more because of the added marble.”
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White House criticises cost
Trump has used the estimated $2.5 billion price tag of the renovation to accuse Powell of “extravagant” spending. The White House says Powell may have misled Congress when he said features had been removed to save money.
Russ Vought, a top Trump adviser, wrote to Powell last week criticising the use of “premium marble.” In response, Powell wrote that domestic marble was chosen partly “to address concerns raised external review agencies.”
The Fed declined to comment to AP. The National Capital Planning Commission is now reviewing the project and how Powell managed the changes.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, “The Federal Reserve’s multi-billion dollar renovation happened on the watch of the Fed’s leadership, and the Fed’s leadership needs to own up for this mismanagement.”Story continues below this ad
Could Trump try to remove Powell?
The issue has added fuel to speculation that Trump may try to remove Powell before his term ends in May 2026. Trump told reporters this week that he is “highly unlikely” to fire Powell unless there is “fraud.”
Removing a Fed chair before the end of their term could spark legal and financial concerns. Financial markets see the central bank as independent, and any political interference could lead to higher borrowing costs for the US.
Design debate goes back to 2020
In early 2020, the Commission of Fine Arts met to review the Fed’s proposed renovation. According to AP, Trump appointee Duncan Stroik suggested using white Georgia marble to better match near buildings along Constitution Avenue.
Although Stroik’s initial motion was rejected, concerns over the building’s modern design remained. July 2020, the Fed submitted updated plans that included marble panels on the base and other parts of the building.Story continues below this ad
Stroik told AP that “stone buildings don’t necessarily have to cost a fortune,” but said the commission didn’t discuss cost estimates. He noted, “If they wanted to play the cost game, they could have compared marble and glass, but they didn’t.”
Classical vs. modern
The commission’s meetings became more tense after Trump appointed several new members in 2020. Krieger said the debates often reflected views in Trump’s draft executive order that favoured classical design over modern architecture.
Trump issued the order in December 2020. President Joe Biden later revoked it, but Trump reinstated it after returning to office earlier this year.
The Commission of Fine Arts approved the Fed’s final renovation plan in September 2021, after Biden replaced several Trump appointees.