• The Department of Justice has dropped its investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, marking a significant policy shift.
• The decision comes amid Trump's emergency economic orders, potentially easing tensions over Fed independence.
• This move is viewed as stabilizing financial markets but criticized by conservatives seeking accountability on monetary policy.
• President Donald Trump threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell if he remains at the helm after his term ends next month.
• Trump framed the move as part of efforts to align the central bank with his administration's economic agenda amid ongoing policy tensions.
• The statement escalates executive pressure on the independent Fed, potentially destabilizing financial markets and sparking debates over central bank autonomy.
US president says he has ‘held back’ on firing the head of the Federal Reserve leading up to end of Powell’s term in MaySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump threatened to fire Jerome Powell if he stays on as US Federal Reserve chair past the end of his tenure and doubled down on a criminal investigation into renovations of the central bank’s headquarters.As the White House pushes Trump’s new nominee to take charge of the Fed, Kevin Warsh, Powell has a month left in the role. The possibility of Powell staying on as chair past 15 May, the official end of his term, has grown amid mounting scrutiny of Trump’s approach to the Fed in the Senate, which is required to approve Warsh’s nomination. Continue reading...
• Kevin Warsh was nominated as the next Federal Reserve Chair, set to succeed Jerome Powell in May 2026.
• Warsh, a critic of the Fed’s quantitative easing policies, is viewed by markets as a steady hand amid economic uncertainties.
• The nomination comes as PCE inflation rose to 2.9% and core PCE to 3.0% year-on-year in March, aligning with consensus expectations.