Trump, Powell and Fed
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If President Donald Trump were to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, it could have unintended and severe consequences that reverberate throughout the US economy and global markets.
The president wants to reduce the trillion-dollar interest cost of the government. To do so he needs the Fed to slash rates, Treasury to hike T-bill issuance, and stablecoins to boost demand.
Warren added the next Fed chair will face a tough task proving they’re committed to central bank autonomy, as concerns grow that Trump may nominate someone more loyal to him than to economic principles.
Barron’s spoke with Tobin Marcus, head of U.S. policy and politics with Wolfe Research and a former White House advisor during the Obama era, about what could unfold if Trump follows through on such a move. An edited version of our conversation is below.
President Trump asked Republican lawmakers this week whether he should fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whom he appointed to the position in 2017. The move followed months of criticism by Trump of Powell,
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Trump and the Trump administration have increasingly turned their fire on Powell and his leadership of the central bank.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday it’s “highly unlikely” that he’ll fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after signaling otherwise a day earlier in a private meeting with lawmakers.