Fed Chair Jerome Powell is under fire from the White House, which accuses him of bungling a renovation of the Fed's HQ and has suggested it could be cause to fire him.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was “highly unlikely” to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a public statement made less than 24 hours after suggesting in a private meeting that he was leaning in favor of dismissing the head of the nation's central bank.

When a reporter asked if the expensive renovation was a fireable offense, Trump replied, “I think it sort of is."

President Trump asked a group of Republican lawmakers how they felt about him firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and told them he would "likely" fire Powell "soon," according to two White House officials and sources familiar with the Tuesday evening meeting.

Intense clashing over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files has influenced betting markets about who could leave the Trump administration in 2025.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is holding a press briefing Thursday afternoon, as the Trump administration faces pushback from its supporters over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.