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The interaction was intense, unmistakably personal, and featured heated exchanges. Trump publicly called Powell a "numbskull" and an "idiot," criticizing his refusal to lower rates and ridiculing him throughout the proceeding. At one point, Trump handed Powell a document listing overruns on the Fed’s new facility project, estimated at $3.1 billion, insinuating that this was partly due to Powell and the Fed’s resistance to his policy preferences. Powell, in a calm yet firm response, pointed out that additional costs on the project would be incurred if Trump added another building.