President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday, raising serious questions about the central bank's leadership as the White House moves closer to naming his successor.
Speaking at the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Washington, Trump said he would "fire" Powell and publicly pressured Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent to push for a faster interest rate cut.
"Interest rates are too high, Scott, and if you don't fix it quickly, I'll kick your ass," Trump said, recalling a conversation in which he urged Bisent to let Powell complete his term, which ends in May 2026.
Trump added that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was "a little more inclined to fire," saying he believed Lutnick would tell him, "Get him out of here right now."
-255*160.webp)
