Maggie Haberman Says Trump Is Trying To Make Jerome Powell ‘As Miserable as Possible’

CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman said President Donald Trump is aiming to make Jerome Powell’s life “as miserable as possible.”

Trump has repeatedly called on the Federal Reserve chair to lower interest rates, to no avail. Powell has been unswayed by the president’s demands and has made clear that he will not resign before his term is up in May 2026, even if Trump asks him to.

On Thursday, the Trump administration escalated matters. Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, ripped Powell on X and posted a letter he sent to the Fed chair.

“Chairman Jerome Powell has grossly mismanaged the Fed,” Vought posted. “While continuing to run a deficit since FY23 (the first time in the Fed’s history), the Fed is way over budget on the renovation of its headquarters.”

Vought went on to suggest that Powell’s renovation at the headquarters is “out of compliance.”

Later in the day, Haberman appeared on CNN’s The Source and said Trump is looking for a way to be rid of Powell.

“I think there’s no question that they are searching as to whether there is a legal out,” she told host Kaitlan Collins. “I don’t know that they want to pull that lever yet, Kaitlan, but this has been a slow roll toward this point. A lot of the president’s advisers… not that many months ago – three, two – were assuring people that he was not serious about getting rid of Jay Powell. The president himself then said he wasn’t going to do it.”

Collins responded by asking Haberman if she thinks Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, might succeed Powell at some point.

“He is a contender,” Haberman responded. “I don’t think he is a top contender at this point, Kaitlan. Obviously, everything in Trump world could change. There are a couple of names who the president has been talking about privately for a while.”

She went on to note that Trump appointed Powell in his first term and said, “I’m skeptical he will fire Powell.”

However, she added a caveat.

“But in the meantime, he is going to make his life as miserable as possible, or at least as miserable as the president perceives it could be, behaving this way,” she concluded.

Watch above via CNN.