New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- President Donald Trump accused Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell of being either "incompetent" or "crooked" following controversy in Washington over a Justice Department investigation into the renovation of the central bank's headquarters.

According to a report by Bloomberg, speaking to reporters on Tuesday as he left the White House for an economic address in Detroit, Trump stated, "He's billions of dollars over budget, so, either he's incompetent or he's crooked. I don't know what he is, but he certainly doesn't do a very good job."

The investigation represents a sharp intensification of the Trump administration's campaign against the Federal Reserve and has reignited concerns about the central bank's independe...