Can Trump Fire the Federal Reserve Chairman? Implications for Financial Markets
Market volatility spiked after reports that US President Donald Trump considered removing Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell, one of his own appointees. While markets eventually stabilized after a sharp spike, these reports of Trump attempting to remove Fed Chair Powell highlight ongoing concerns about the autonomy of independent agencies and their ability to oversee monetary policy without outside influence from the White House.
Can Trump Fire Powell?
Despite claims on social media that former President Joe Biden initially nominated Jerome Powell to head the US Federal Reserve, it was Donald Trump who nominated Powell to a four-year term as Federal Reserve Chairman (“Fed Chairman”) during Trump’s first term. Powell has since gone on to serve a second term (to which he was nominated by former President Biden). Powell’s current term is marked by disagreement between the central bank and Trump administration regarding the use of interest rates in stimulating US economic growth. President Trump is in favor of rate cuts and lower interest rates whereas the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors (“Fed Board”), headed by Powell, is in favor of keeping interest rates high to combat inflation. The disagreement has led to reports of President Trump seeking to fire Fed Chair Powell. While firing Powell may not be simple, it is possible under Section 10 of the Federal Reserve Act, leading to heightened worry of market instability by economists and lawmakers alike.
Learn more about the potential impacts of this ongoing disagreement in our exclusive report.
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