The US President deviated from the script during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to boast about his new $400 million ballroom in the White House. CNN was halted for the breaking press conference as Trump started attacking the Federal Reserve over its renovation of the central bank’s headquarters. Trump branded the chairman Jerome Powell a “fool”.

Trump added: “You would have thought [Biden] wouldn’t have done that. But [Powell’s] an absolute fool who’s building a new Federal Reserve, or he’s doing a renovation of a building. Maybe he’s up to $4.1 billion to do a renovation of a few very small buildings. It’s the highest price in the history of construction.” The Federal Reserve justified the project by saying the premises have not had a significant upgrade since the 1930s, when they first opened.

Trump continued: “He is spending more money than any building has spent per square foot on the renovation. As an example, I am doing a magnificent, big, beautiful ballroom that the country has wanted for 150 years.

“It’s a massive job, and it is a tiny fraction of that number. And we are under budget and ahead of schedule. It’s bigger than I told you… After realising we’re gonna do the inauguration in that building, it’s got all bulletproof glass and a drone-free roof, so drones won’t touch it.

“It’s a big, beautiful, safe building; it’s a big project for a tiny fraction that we are under budget and ahead of schedule. They’ve wanted it for 150 years.”

Continuing to lambast the other project, Trump added: “They are way over budget. This was built during the Biden administration, and I rode by it the other day… Too late, pal. Too late because he is always too late.”

It was not known prior to the speech that the next presidential inauguration is set to be held in the revamped ballroom.

One confused viewer penned on X: “What inauguration?” Another said: “Inauguration or coronation?” A third added: “Did Donald think it would be ready soon so he can redo his inauguration?”

Someone else penned: “We don’t want a big beautiful ballroom! We want healthcare!” Another said: “He probably meant to say coronation not inauguration.”