President Donald Trump has looked to the marble finishes and hefty price tag of the Federal Reserve headquarters to claim grounds to fire Chair Jerome Powell, with whom he has tussled for years over interest rates.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in a Thursday letter countered criticisms leveled at the central bank by a top White House official over a $2.5 billion renovation project.

Russell T. Vought, the head of the Office of Management and Budget, said he and other administration officials wanted access to the Fed’s building in Washington.