Trump is Reportedly Growing Frustrated With Mnuchin After Botched Attempt to Calm Markets

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin may be the latest addition to President Donald Trump‘s naughty list after his botched attempted to calm the markets.

CNN reported on Christmas Day:

President Donald Trump’s frustration with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is ratcheting up further after markets suffered their worst Christmas Eve drop ever despite Mnuchin’s attempts to calm Wall Street, according to a source close to the White House.

The source told CNN that Mnuchin could be in “serious jeopardy” with Trump, who regularly rages at Cabinet members he feels have made mistakes, before he cools off.

Despite the government being partially shutdown, Mnuchin left — as planned — for a holiday vacation in Cabo San Lucas. Yet, while he was in Cabo, the Treasury Department sent out a statement about Mnuchin’s calls with top bank CEOs that caused unease on Wall Street.

It also prompted Paul Krugman to wonder if Mnuchin was an “idiot.”

https://twitter.com/USTreasury/status/1076959260205113345

Yet that wasn’t the only thing that had Trump frustrated. Trump has, according to CNN, been complaining Mnuchin has not been doing enough, in general, to stabilize the markets and, more specifically, “Trump was particularly frustrated that a tentative trade deal with China on tariffs did not provide a boost in the markets — something Mnuchin and other advisers said would happen if an agreement was struck.”

Or as the CNN source said, “Mnuchin is under the gun.”

So far, Trump has publicly backed Mnuchin, calling him a “very talented” guy and avoiding airing any grievances with him on Twitter. However, Trump’s past praise has meant little when the mercurial POTUS decides it is time for the person to go.

Still, not everyone thinks Mnuchin’s job may be a risk. At least one administration source told CNN that talk of Mnuchin’s troubles were “nonsense.”