As Trump threatened to fire Powell, federal prosecutors showed up unannounced at the Federal Reserve building

PBS NewsHour
by Paul Wiseman, Associated Press
April 15, 2026
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3 min read

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Federal prosecutors visited the Federal Reserve building unannounced while President Trump threatened to fire Chair Powell.

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Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office made an unannounced visit to the Federal Reserve building on Tuesday. This occurred as President Trump has reportedly threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The officials were turned away by a building contractor and directed to Fed attorneys, according to a source familiar with the incident. The presence of federal prosecutors at the independent central bank, amid presidential threats against its chair, signals potential tensions between the executive branch and the Federal Reserve. This development raises questions about the independence of the Federal Reserve and the extent of executive influence.

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