WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has the authority to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for cause if evidence supports that, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday and that the Fed "has a lot to answer for" on renovation cost overruns at its Washington headquarters.

President Trump and his allies have accused the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, of misleading Congress in what some legal scholars worry is a prelude to seeking his removal.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is asking an inspector general to review the cost of the central bank’s building renovations that White House officials have attacked as “ostentatious."

In a response to Fortune, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President Alberto Musalem defended the Fed's autonomy, citing global evidence that independent central banks deliver stronger inflation and employment outcomes.

The White House financial watchdog ripped Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over a lavish revamp of the central bank’s Washington, DC headquarters — and warned construction could be

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett defended Donald Trump’s newly unveiled 50% tariff against Brazil on ABC News' "This Week."