Trump Urges Fed Rate Cut, Powell Stands Firm

0:00On March 12, President Donald Trump is ramping up his calls for the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates right away. On Thursday, he took to true social to blast-chair Jerome Powell, urging him to act now instead of waiting for the next policy meeting. This push comes to his days before the Federal Open Market Committee's gathering on March 17th and 18th. At their last session on January 28th, the Fed kept the Federal Fund's rate steady between 3.5 percent and 3.75 percent, promising to watch data closely. Recent job numbers show some softening, with non-farm payrolls dropping by 92,000 in February and unemployment holding at 4.4 percent. Inflation ticked up 0.3 percent that month, reaching 2.4 percent over the past year, while core inflation hit 2.5 percent. At the Fed, opinions differ, as two officials recently pushed for a quarter-point cut. Powell keeps stressing that decisions must follow the facts, aiming for strong jobs and

1:012 percent inflation, not outside pressure. Trump appointed Powell back in 2017, but their clashes have grown sharper amid debates over the best time for rate relief. As the March meeting nears, all eyes stay on whether data will sway the central bank.