U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell and his mulling of a possible termination of the central bank chief grabbed headlines this week. BCA Research said that Powell and the Fed provide an opportunity to Trump in the form of "scapegoats" by shouldering the blame for trade war-inflicted economic weakness.

President Donald Trump on Thursday again made clear his disdain for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, going so far as to say the central banker’s “termination can’t come fast enough” and saying in an Oval Office event that Powell will “be out of there real fast” if he wants.