ECONOMY/FEDERAL RESERVE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump continued to rail against the Federal Reserve on Friday [3-29-19], criticizing the central bank for raising interests rates and suggesting U.S. growth had suffered as a result…Trump and the central bank clashed in September last year when Fed officials raised interest rates and determined at least two more interest rate increases would be necessary in 2019. Trump decried the increases as impediments to growth as he pushed for at least 4 percent economic growth. The conflict led to whispers of the ouster of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. The Federal Reserve recently has lowered its forecast for growth in 2019 to 2.1 percent, citing trade tensions and slowing global growth, and this week revised down growth in the fourth quarter of last year. It announced last week it would most likely not increase interest rates this year. Powell has said numerous times that Trump’s complaints did not influence the decision. The president traditionally does not interfere with the operations of the Federal Reserve, and Trump has distanced himself from the change in presidential norms.”
–Matthew Choi, “Trump resumes attacks on Federal Reserve over growth targets,” Politico, March 29, 2019 6:30 pm