Powell reaffirmed that the Fed “will set monetary policy, as required by law, to support maximum employment and stable prices and will make those decisions based solely on careful, objective, and non-political analysis.”
The central bank, which rarely comments on private meetings with presidents, appears keen to draw a line amid ongoing attempts by Trump to influence monetary policy decisions.
During Thursday’s White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the Fed’s message, saying the statement is “correct,” but added that Trump “did say that the Fed chair is making a mistake by not lowering rates.”
Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell in public and on social media, claiming the central bank is slow to act. Earlier this year, following a round of newly announced tariffs that rattled markets, dubbed by Trump as “Liberation Day,” he posted:
“This would be a PERFECT time for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to cut Interest Rates. He is always ‘late,’ but he could now change his image, and quickly.”
