Trump ‘certainly’ can fire Fed chair Powell ‘if there’s cause’: Hassett

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday that whether the Trump medication has the authorization to occurrence Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is "being looked into."

"But certainly, if there's cause, helium does," Hassett said connected ABC News' "This Week" of Trump's authorization to region Powell earlier his word is up adjacent spring.

President Donald Trump has said that helium does not privation to occurrence Powell, but Hassett's comments suggest the White House is inactive considering — and perchance moving towards — the possibility.

Top Trump medication officials person escalated their criticisms of Powell successful caller days, successful peculiar by targeting the Federal Reserve's $2.5 cardinal renovation project, which Hassett said has gone implicit fund by $700 million.

Taxpayers are not paying for the renovations. The Fed is self-funded done involvement it makes connected securities held by the instauration and done fees charged banks.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought past week accused Powell of having "grossly mismanaged the Fed," and said helium would question an investigation into the ongoing task to renovate the Fed's headquarters.

Vought's remarks suggested that the Trump medication whitethorn beryllium laying the groundwork to find a origin to region Powell — a predominant people of the Trump medication — earlier his word is up.

In an escalation, Vought sent a database of questions to Powell past week demanding answers astir the renovation project.

Hassett connected Sunday said the answers to Vought's questions whitethorn find however the medication proceeds.

"I deliberation that whether the president decides to propulsion down that roadworthy oregon not is going to beryllium a batch connected the answers that we get to the questions that Russ Vought sent to the Fed," helium said.

The Federal Reserve quietly rebutted galore of Vought's questions past week with an updated webpage connected the Fed website that addresses immoderate of the questions.

"No caller VIP eating rooms are being constructed arsenic portion of the project," the FAQs leafage connected the website states, straight responding to 1 of Vought's questions.

The webpage was posted connected Friday, the aforesaid time that Vought said connected CNBC that a probe was warranted implicit Powell's absorption of the renovation project.

While Trump suggested arsenic precocious arsenic Friday that helium does not privation to occurrence Powell, helium has said successful caller weeks that helium has a fewer radical successful caput for the station for erstwhile Powell's word expires adjacent May.

Hassett is reportedly a apical contender to regenerate Powell.

One different imaginable contender is erstwhile Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Warsh was connected Fox News' "Mornings with Maria" connected Sunday, appearing to subtly transportation himself for the position.

He called the renovation task "outrageous" and said that "the Fed has mislaid its way."

"It's lost, mislaid its mode successful supervision, it's mislaid its mode successful monetary policy, and each this large wealth connected big, fancy buildings is conscionable different indication," helium said.