‘Do You Still Think That Jerome Powell’s a Numbskull?’ Kaitlan Collins Asks Trump About Fed Chair – Who’s Standing Right Next to Him

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked President Donald Trump if he still believes Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is a moron.

Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell, who has resisted the president’s calls to lower interest rates. Powell’s term expires in May, though Trump has reportedly entertained the idea of trying to fire the Fed chair. The president has denied this. On Tuesday, Trump called Powell a “numbskull.”

“Our economy is so strong now, blowing through everything. We’re setting records,” Trump said. “But you know what? People aren’t able to buy a house because this guy is a numbskull. He keeps the rates too high, and is probably doing it for political reasons.”

On Thursday, Trump and Powell donned hard hats and toured the Federal Reserve’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., which is currently undergoing renovations. The president has railed against the project’s cost and suggested that Powell had mismanaged the bank’s finances.

During their tour, which made for some awkward television, Trump again called on Powell to lower interest rates. After taking some questions from reporters, Trump and Powell headed for the exit when Collins piped up.

“Mr. President, do you still think that Jerome Powell’s a numbskull?” she asked. Neither the president nor the Fed chair reacted to the question, and they walked off.

During their tour, Trump claimed to Powell that the renovations were incurring intolerable cost overruns.

“It went up a little bit — or a lot — so the 2.7 [billion] is now 3.1 [billion, and–” Trump said before Powell interjected.

“I’m not aware of that,” the chair said as he examined a piece of paper that Trump handed him. Powell responded by saying the president was including the cost of a building that was finished five years ago.

Watch above via Fox News.