Democrats, Republicans and former Fed chairs condemn investigation into Jerome Powell – US politics live

US President Donald Trump has claimed that he instructed the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt quickly corrected him, saying that the president had not given such an order. The Department of Justice did confirm that it is investigating Powell over allegations of cost overruns and mishandling of the Fed's construction projects.

The investigation has sparked outrage among some Republicans, including Republican Senator Kevin Cramer, who vowed to block any future Federal Reserve nominees until the matter is resolved. Former Fed Chairs Ben Bernanke, Alan Greenspan, and Janet Yellen have also condemned the investigation, calling it an "unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine that independence".

Trump has taken credit for his role in increasing defense spending among NATO allies, saying he encouraged them to spend more on defense, which led to a significant increase. However, there is no evidence to support this claim.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is scheduled to meet with Trump on Thursday, despite the US president's past dismissive comments about her and the opposition movement in Venezuela. In a Fox News interview, Trump said that he looked forward to meeting her and accepting her Nobel Peace Prize if she gave it to him.

The situation in Greenland remains tense, with Denmark's government saying it cannot accept the US proposal to annex the island. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the increased defense spending among allies but did not address Trump's comments on Greenland specifically.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one... So Trump thinks he told the Justice Department to investigate Powell, but really they were just doing their thing. I mean, come on, if it was a real order, wouldn't we know about it by now? And what's with all these Republicans getting worked up over it? It just seems like more politics as usual.

And can we talk about Trump's NATO spending claims? Like, where did he even get that number from? Sounds fishy to me. I'm all for a strong defense, but let's not spread misinformation. On a lighter note, who is Maria Corina Machado anyway? Sounds like someone we should be supporting in Venezuela.

The Greenland situation just feels like a big ol' mess. Annexing the island? Are you kidding me? It's like something out of a bad Cold War movie . I just hope Denmark and NATO can figure some thing out before it escalates further. This international diplomacy stuff is way more complicated than my cable TV remote control

OMG so Trump is literally trying to take down Powell and it's getting crazy he's like "I'm a genius for doing everything" meanwhile, everyone else is over here like "wait what now?" and those allegations about the Fed are like, super serious too...can't trust anyone in the government rn and on a separate note, didn't Trump used to say something about being a billionaire before becoming president? like, where did that wealth come from tho?

Dude, I think this whole thing with Powell is a bit overblown . I mean, come on, it's just a normal investigation into some alleged cost overruns and construction issues at the Fed. It's not like Trump is trying to take down Powell personally or anything (although, let's be real, that's exactly what some people are saying). And can we talk about how convenient it is for Republicans to suddenly care about this when it affects their own interests? It's all just politics as usual. But you know who the real winners here are? Trump and his PR team . They're getting all this attention and creating a distraction from, like, actual policy stuff. Not cool, Trump .

omg you guys are so gullible Trump just throws around some trash and now everyone's buying into it? like he claims he told DOJ to investigate Powell over some made-up BS about cost overruns... newsflash: there's no evidence, it's all just a witch hunt . And don't even get me started on his NATO spending "achievement" that's not even something he actually did, just tweeted about it like a clueless troll . and let's talk about Venezuela... how can you trust Trump with Maria Corina Machado? He's already proven time and time again that he doesn't care about human rights or democracy. And Greenland? please, don't be fooled by the US trying to make a big show about it . Denmark's not having it, mark my words .

OMG yall wut r we even doin? So Trump thinks he told DOJ 2 investigate Powell but Press Sec says nope lol like how does he get away wit this ? And now some repubs are all upset & threatenin 2 block future Fed nominees 2, meanwhile Powell's already under investigation 4 some cost overrun nonsense . And can we talk bout Trump's defense spending claims 4 a sec? Like where's the proof?

omg is this real life?? so trump thinks he can just order an investigation into some dude and now everyone's losing their mind I don't get why republicans are so mad though, like isn't the Fed supposed to be independent or something? and btw has anyone seen that video of maria corina machado talking about what really goes on in venezuela? I need to watch it ASAP

so trump's trying to say he increased defense spending for nato but i think he's just making it up as he goes along like, how can we even verify that? and oh wait did you know that the fed's construction projects have cost way more than expected? is this guy for real?

and can someone explain to me what's going on with greenland? do they not want it annexed or something? i just wanna watch a cute penguin video to calm down from all this drama

I'm a bit worried about this whole thing with Jerome Powell and the Justice Department . I mean, I know we need transparency and accountability, but an investigation into our Fed Chair? That's like... unsettling . On one hand, it's good that they're looking into cost overruns and construction projects, those things can add up quickly .

But at the same time, I don't think we should be accusing anyone of wrongdoing without a full hearing, you know? It feels like politics as usual . And then there's this weird thing with Trump claiming credit for increasing defense spending among NATO allies... I just can't find any evidence to back that up .

On a more positive note, though, Maria Corina Machado meeting with Trump on Thursday? That's actually kind of cool . Who knows what could come out of that conversation? And I'm glad to see increased defense spending among NATO allies, it's about time we stepped up our game ! Now, if only we could get some real progress on the Greenland situation...

This whole thing with Powell and the Fed is getting a bit out of hand. I mean, what's the big deal? He's making decisions that affect the economy, right? It feels like someone's trying to stir up drama just for the sake of it. Trump saying he instructed the Justice Department to investigate Powell but then the Press Secretary says nope, not happening... come on, Donald, be consistent!

And can we talk about this defense spending thing? I'm all for allies stepping up their game, but do we really need more proof that Trump is the one pushing it? I mean, where's the evidence? It feels like a PR stunt.

On a separate note, what's going on with Maria Corina Machado and her Nobel Peace Prize? That's some wild stuff right there. If Trump is really expecting that, he needs to sit down for a reality check.

man this trump stuff is getting crazy I dont know about these allegations against powell tho, seems like a bit of a power play to me... or maybe i'm just naive? anyway, what bothers me more is that some people are already talking about blocking future fed nominees, that's just more drama can we please focus on the real issues here instead of trying to undermine the fed's independence? and btw, if trumps gonna meet machado, shouldn't he at least listen to her concerns before making a fool of himself again?

This is getting crazy lol I mean, what even is going on? First, the Fed Chair gets investigated and now it's like Trump is trying to make a name for himself out of thin air... newsflash, Donald the Nobel Peace Prize isn't exactly something you can "accept" by just saying so. And can we talk about how some people are already making it all about party lines instead of focusing on what's actually going on? Like, come on guys let's keep an eye on the details here and not get too caught up in politics as usual

Ugh, can't even get a straight story out of this guy... like, I know he's trying to stir up drama and whatnot . But come on, does he really expect us to believe that the Justice Department just happens to be investigating the Fed Chair over some totally legitimate allegations?

And then there's the whole NATO thing... yeah right, he's not gonna get away with claiming he single-handedly got everyone to increase defense spending without any actual evidence . I mean, what if the rest of the allies just had a collective "oh you want us to spend more on defense? Sure thing" moment?

And can we please talk about the Greenland situation for one sec... like, is it even worth getting worked up over? It's an island, folks! Denmark's got every right to say no and Trump's just gonna keep trying to stir things up .

lol what's up with trump trying to investigate federal reserve chair jerome powell now ? like, can't he just chill and let the people do their jobs or something? the whole thing is getting pretty wild with republicans being all upset about it and former fed chairs speaking out against the investigation . and btw, ben bernanke is a legend !

omg this guy trumps behavior is getting out of hand lol like come on he cant just make stuff up and expect everyone to believe him anyway so theres this investigation into Powell and its sparking outrage which i get the fed should be independent but at the same time Trump has no problem accusing them of wrongdoing so like whats good for him now

and meanwhile trump is still spouting that lie about increasing defense spending among nato allies idk how much more he can spin before ppl start calling him out hard his words are like, super contradictory sometimes

anyway this meeting with Machado is kinda interesting considering trumps past comments about her im not sure what to expect from it though maybe hes genuinely interested in helping venezuela or maybe hes just gonna use the press for himself lol

I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with Trump and his tweets . First, he claims he ordered an investigation into Powell, then says it wasn't true... I don't know how many times I have to read this before I get my head around it . On a more serious note, though, shouldn't the Justice Department be doing its own thing and not getting pulled into politics like this? It's just so frustrating when politicians start meddling with institutions that are supposed to be impartial .

And while we're on the topic of politics, what's going on in Venezuela is really heartbreaking. I'm all for peaceful protests and opposition movements fighting for their rights. It's disgusting how Trump has been dismissive towards them in the past . Maybe this meeting with Machado will be a turning point?

Oh, and can we talk about defense spending? I think it's awesome that NATO allies are stepping up their game . But at the same time, I'm not sure if Trump's claims are entirely true... there needs to be some proof before we start celebrating .

Lastly, have you guys seen the reaction on Greenland? Denmark is like "no way, dude" . I guess some things just can't be negotiated or bought .

I'm just wondering what's going on here... The president is claiming he told the Justice Department to investigate the Fed chair, but it looks like that might be a mix-up . If true, that's pretty alarming for the Fed's independence . And then we got this weird comment from Trump about giving a Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado if she hands it over to him... what even is that? It feels like he's more interested in scoring points than actually helping Venezuela .

And can we talk about Greenland for a sec? I mean, I get why some people might be concerned about US expansion, but annexing the whole island seems crazytalk . I guess it's all just politics as usual... still gonna keep an eye on this one

this is just weird , trump is all over the place and his words are like a big mess , can't even trust what he says . but i'm not surprised , he's been doing crazy things for years . and now these republicans are mad because of him, it's just so... . ben bernanke and janet yellen are saying some big words , but i think they're just trying to defend their friend trump . anyway, the fed is investigating powell , that's a whole other thing . maria corina machado meeting trump , maybe she can bring some sanity to his team. and oh boy, the situation in greenland is just... . i don't think trump knows what he's talking about .