The Federal Reserve is, arguably, the most important financial institution in the world. It is responsible for managing America's monetary policy, monitoring and regulating the nation's banks, and maintaining the stability of the U.S. financial system (and by extension, the global financial system; because what happens in the U.S. never stays in the U.S.). But the Fed is also, by design, a staid and dispassionate institution; run by bland, competent technocrats. It's the last place you'd think to find fodder for The Daily Show. And yet, here was Jason Klepper recently doing an extended segment on Trump's beef with Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Klepper jokes that Trump's so angry with Powell, you' think he caught him with [Melania] at a Coldplay concert!!
Trump's dissatisfaction with Powell stems from the fact he refuses to do the President's bidding and lower interest rates as demanded. Powell is strictly apolitical, which irks Trump no end. After all, Big Law, major media companies, and even the Supreme Court have effectively bowed to Trump. So why not the Fed Chair, who Trump himself appointed? Moreover, Powell has refused to step down before his term is finished next year and has steadfastly maintained he will fight any attempt to remove him. That sounds like a challenge, but Trump realizes that firing a Fed Chair (even if he had the authority to do so) is a huge risk for the economy. Fed independence is a core part of the U.S. financial system and Wall Street has come to Powell's defense. So, is Powell, of all people, the hero the Resistance has been waiting for?
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