White House Spox Accuses Fed Policy of Being ‘Partisan’ While Brushing Off Question About Trump Attacks

 

Gray TV’s veteran White House correspondent Jon Decker asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday about President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on Fed Chair Jerome Powell, which have sparked concern in the market.

“Thanks a lot, Karoline. Some economic questions for you. Kevin Hassett has been a key economic advisor to the President in both of his terms in 2022,” Decker began as Leavitt added, “And he still is.”

“And he still is, yeah,” Decker agreed as Leavitt said, “He was just in my office.”

“Absolutely. In 2022, he said that the independence of the Fed is super important. That’s a direct quote. Is that something that the President subscribes to, does he still believe in the independence of the Federal Reserve?” Decker asked.

“Look, I think the president has made his position on the Fed and on Powell quite clear. The President believes that they have been making moves and taking action in the name of politics, rather than in the name of what’s right for the American economy,” Leavitt replied, adding:

The President has the right to express his displeasure with the Fed, and he has the right to say he believes interest rates should be lower. He believes Americans should be able to borrow money cheaper than they currently are right now. And I also spoke to Kevin Hassett about the Fed as well, and he has called into question the Fed’s independence and whether they are actually doing things, again, out of the best interest of the economy. Or are they doing it for partisan reasons? The president wants to see interest rates lower. He has made that quite clear.

“We’ve seen the dollar at multi-year lows versus the euro and other currencies around the world. Is it the administration’s policy for a strong dollar? How does it view the dollar versus other currencies around the world?” Decker followed up.

“The President wants to see the dollar remain as the world’s reserve currency for our long-term fiscal stability and our economic growth. He’s been quite clear about that,” Leavitt replied.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.

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Alex Griffing is a Senior Editor at Mediaite. Send tips via email: alexanderg@mediaite.com. Follow him on Twitter: @alexgriffing