City
Epaper

Trump rips Fed, urges rate cuts and zero interest rates

By IANS | Updated: September 12, 2019 06:00 IST

President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on Federal Reserve policy makers, calling them "Boneheads" and urging that they cut interest rates and even consider taking short-term rates to zero or negative.

Open in App

"The Federal Reserve should get our interest rates down to ZERO, or less, and we should then start to refinance our debt. INTEREST COST COULD BE BROUGHT WAY DOWN, while at the same time substantially lengthening the term," Trump said in a Twitter post on Wednesday, Efe news reported.

The Federal Reserve's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which sets the US central bank's interest rate policy, is scheduled to hold its next meeting September 17-18.

"It is only the naïveté of Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve that doesn't allow us to do what other countries are already doing. A once in a lifetime opportunity that we are missing because of 'Boneheads,'" Trump tweeted.

The president has been attacking Powell, who he named to head the Federal Reserve, and monetary policy makers for months for not cutting interest rates to stimulate the economy, which is still growing and boasts a strong labour market.

"We have the great currency, power, and balance sheet ... The USA should always be paying the the lowest rate. No Inflation!" Trump tweeted.

On July 31, the FOMC cut the benchmark rate for the first time in 11 years, lowering it to a range of 2 per cent to 2.25 per cent.

The widely expected move marked the first reduction in the federal funds rate since the 2008 financial crisis.

The central bank said US economic activity has been rising at a moderate rate, job gains have been solid and the unemployment rate has remained low, but it justified the move by citing "muted inflation pressures" and "implications of global developments for the economic outlook."

"The outlook for the US economy remains favourable, and this action is designed to support that outlook," Powell said in a news conference after the monetary policy action.

The United States has the highest interest rates among the G7 countries. The European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of Japan (BOJ) have both set their benchmark rates below zero.

The US gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 2 per cent in the second quarter, down from the 3.1 per cent growth registered in the first quarter.

Trump, who wants higher economic growth ahead of his re-election bid in 2020, has repeatedly pressed the Fed in recent months to lower interest rates and thus make it cheaper for businesses and consumers to borrow.

The president has also criticized the Fed for raising interest rates four times in 2018, while the central bank said it was returning its target federal funds rate to a historically normal level after holding it at near zero following the 2008-2009 global recession.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: FEDustrumpJay Powell
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalColorado Nightclub Raid: Over 100 Illegal Immigrants Detain at Underground Nightclub in US; Video Surfaces

BusinessGlobal Tech Firms Eye India for Manufacturing Amid US-China Tensions

InternationalIllinois Plane Crash: 4 Killed After Cessna C180G Aircraft Goes Down After Hitting Power Lines in Trilla

NationalPM Narendra Modi Discusses Tech and Innovation Collaboration With Elon Musk

InternationalCalifornia Shooting: 6 People Injured in Firing Outside Barbershop in Stockton

कारोबार Realted Stories

BusinessForthFocus Celebrates 10 Years of Global Digital Excellence, Serving 350+ Clients Across 8+ Countries

BusinessKundan Prajapati Launches Free 20-Hour Trading Course to Boost Youth Financial Literacy

BusinessM&M posts record FY25 profit of Rs12,929 crore, declares dividend of Rs 25.3/ share

BusinessFibe, CheQ collaborate to expand credit access and ensure responsible credit behaviour

BusinessExpertOps AI Launches AI Workforce Operating System to Redefine Enterprise Operations with Digital Employees