This week’s visit by President Donald Trump to the Federal Reserve was more like watching a silent political movie with all the drama of slaps, grimaces, and not-so-subtle shade thrown around. Sure, the $3.1 billion renovation figures grabbed the headlines, but if you paid attention, the most interesting part was the nonverbal communication.
Experts in reading body language say that the true story unfolded through the subtleties of shrugs, intense looks, and an eye-catching head shake from Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
Donald Trump asked that the renovation have any “additional cost overruns”, but Jerome Powell’s body language told a different story. His facial expression looked like he was thinking, “I cannot with this man.”
Outwardly, he said, “We’re ready for them (…) We’re well along, as you can see.”
When HuffPost talked to experts, they pointed out how Powell’s eyes kind of fluttered closed for a moment, which they said was probably his brain’s way of ignoring the nonsense. Then there was his little head shake and tight frown. Patti Wood, a nonverbal expert, said that his inner self was disagreeing with what Trump was saying, but he was keeping it polite on the outside.
And the show didn’t stop there. As Powell was talking about the costs, Donald Trump, being his usual dramatic self, took off his hard hat right in the middle of the conversation.
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Traci Brown, who reads body language for a living, said it wasn’t just because he was getting too hot or anything. That was enough with the formalities. By doing that, he was basically taking the spotlight back and letting everyone know who’s boss. She put it simply, Trump made sure to show that “He’s in charge.”
🚨 LMAO! A reporter just asked Trump at the Federal Reserve: “As a real estate developer, what would you do with the project manager with the over budget?”
TRUMP: “I’D FIRE HIM!”
Powell looks SUPER uncomfortable 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ROwXKatq2E
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 24, 2025
But the instant that truly summed it up was when Trump gave Powell a dramatic pat on the back when someone asked if the Fed chair could make amends. It definitely didn’t seem like a buddy-buddy move.
Wood put it bluntly, saying it was “punishing.” It’s pretty weird because “this kind of force is highly unusual.” Donaldson saw it as him showing who’s boss and shifting the focus elsewhere. Brown said it was about fury and keeping the upper hand.
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When Donald Trump stepped in front of Jerome Powell to keep him away from the reporters, it was pretty clear what was going on. Powell’s tight lips and slumped shoulders spoke volumes.
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump is visiting the Federal Reserve THURSDAY to check on Jerome Powell’s $2.5 BILLION “renovations” to the building
Powell attempted to BLOCK White House staff from visiting, so Trump decided he was PERSONALLY going.
Powell’s in some deep sh*t! 🤣🔥 pic.twitter.com/VoKM36lWxK
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 24, 2025
Turns out, this was just one of those sneaky little moments of power struggle that they’ve had before.
Even with the slaps on the wrist, those intense stare-downs, and some shaky calculations about the budget, Trump is still saying that he won’t fire Powell. Not yet, at least. He’s “going to do the right thing,” Donald Trump insisted.
But if you read the room at the Federal Reserve, it looked like all Powell really wanted was a way out!
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