Posted originally on CTH on July 24, 2025 | Sundance
The Federal Reserve is spending $2.5 billion to renovate existing buildings for the agency. The cost overruns so far exceed $700 million in taxpayer money. Both President Trump and OMB Director Russ Vought are furious at the costs.
The $2.5bn refurbishment of the FED headquarters is at the center of focus by the White House, looking specifically at Jay Powell the central bank’s chair. Russell Vought has compared the ridiculous renovation cost to the building of the Palace of Versailles and described cost overruns as “outrageous”.
President Trump, a builder who knows the price of all things in the construction sector, takes matters into his own hands and grabs a hard hat to tour the facility that is not expected to be finished for another two years. Here are his initial remarks (prompted):
Posted originally on CTH on July 24, 2025 | Sundance
President Trump heads to the Federal Reserve today to tour a new FED building and renovation process that is experiencing massive cost overruns. There are some impromptu remarks that were previously made moments ago that I will break out in another post; however, President Trump is expected to deliver remarks shortly.
Posted originally on Jul 24, 2025 by Martin Armstrong
China has been offloading its US Treasury holdings for years. Once the top holder of US debt, China cut its US Treasury holdings for the third consecutive month this May. Total holdings have fallen to $756.3 billion from $757.2 billion in April, according to the US Treasury, marking the lowest debt held since May 2009.
As of 2024, China has reduced its holdings by approximately 30% over a four-year period. China was able to use the exchange rate to buy yuan when the currency depreciated. China seemed to be assisting Trump years ago in lowering the dollar to ease trade frictions. That is no longer the case here as the United States began engaging in economic warfare when it pushed Russia off SWIFT, implemented sanctions, and confiscated private assets. Politicians have threatened China with economic warfare over Taiwan, and there is no incentive to hold the debt of your political enemy. It is akin to holding a gun to someone and asking them to lend you money with the promise to pay it back.
In 2013, China held $1.317 trillion in US Treasury securities at its peak holding. Geopolitical rivalry followed as China increased its military presence in the South China Sea and the US responded by forming alliances with neighboring Asian nations and conducting military operations near Taiwan. Former President Obama and Xi Jinping met in 2013 as well amid ongoing conflict regarding arms sales to Taiwan, cyber espionage accusations, and disagreements over North Korea. China offloaded $550 billion in US Treasuries by the end of 2013 and Japan became the largest holder of US debt.
Let us not forget that the Ukraine war sprang up in 2014, and the West installed its puppet government. China observed and responded accordingly. Tensions heightened in 2015 when China continued to assert its dominance in the South China Sea. The US refused to accept the One China policy, despite desperately needing China to remain an ally. Trump’s first term marked ongoing trade wars between the US and China that turned into outright hostility. The Hong Kong protests of 2019 further strengthened ties as the US aligned itself with Hong Kong and once again dismissed the One China policy.
By 2020, China was akin to Russia in terms of being the “communist” enemy of the West. Mike Pompeo delivered a speech in which he declared the end of an era of engagement with China due to intellectual property theft, territorial claims, and human rights abuses. Both Trump and Biden blacklisted Chinese companies and spoke of an ongoing need to distance the US from China rather than form a concrete alliance with its top trading partner.
By 2022, we had Nancy Pelosi and other top politicians visiting Taiwan to show their support for sovereignty. The US vowed to intervene if China attempted to reclaim its territories. Three years ago, the Chinese government warned the provinces and private companies not to borrow dollars. The people and institutions were free to do as they pleased, despite China being deemed an evil communist nation by the West.
All of this was a political farce as the West is selective about which nations it wants to be the moral police over. China will never have the incentive to take on more debt of an enemy nation. The Fed desperately needed China’s participation as its plan was to roll over its debts perpetually, but that is now out of the question. Japan is facing a massive crisis and will be the first to default. What will the US do when no one is willing to buy its debt?
Posted originally on CTH on July 23, 2025 | Sundance
The Japanese essentially did not want to face a 25% tariff on automobiles exported to the USA. At the same time, they did not want to permit full USA access to several sectors of their market. The solution is quite remarkable.
Japan agrees to be the bank, to essentially finance any national security priority of President Trump to the tune of $55o billion. In return, Japan gets a 15% tariff on automobiles, and 10% return on the profit of the ¹business they finance in the U.S. Japan is essentially purchasing a lower tariff rate.
PRESIDENT TRUMP – “We just completed a massive Deal with Japan, perhaps the largest Deal ever made. Japan will invest, at my direction, $550 Billion Dollars into the United States, which will receive 90% of the Profits. This Deal will create Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs — There has never been anything like it. Perhaps most importantly, Japan will open their Country to Trade including Cars and Trucks, Rice and certain other Agricultural Products, and other things. Japan will pay Reciprocal Tariffs to the United States of 15%. This is a very exciting time for the United States of America, and especially for the fact that we will continue to always have a great relationship with the Country of Japan. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explains:
EXAMPLE: President Trump wants generic drug manufacturing in the USA. U.S. company ‘Main Street Drugs’ agrees to build a $100 billion manufacturing plant. Japan finances the building and company creation. Main Street Drugs owns and operates the business, keeps 90% of the profits, Japan gets 10%.
Trump (USA) has $450 billion in financing left to spend on the next priority, perhaps a railroad connection or transit system.
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