Trump Warns Of Economic Slowdown Unless Fed Cuts Rates, Triggering Selloff
UPDATE 2-Trump warns of economic slowdown unless Fed cuts rates, triggering selloffTrump says rates need to drop immediatelyFed is waiting on rate decisions to be sure tariffs don't drive inflation higherConference Board indicators point to slowing; stocks down, yields higherAdds details throughoutBy Howard Schneider and Ismail Shakil. It's not clear Trump has the authority to do so, and even if successful the Fed's governance structure would give the remaining board members and regional bank presidents say over interest rate decisions - potentially forcing the White House into a deeper assault on the Fed's seven-member Board of Governors.Trump's repeated threats to fire Powell come as he tries to goad the Fed into quickly cutting interest rates to mitigate a widely expected economic slowdown and possible harm to the labor market due to his tariff and other policies, while Fed policymakers urge caution on concerns inflation, which remains above their 2% target, could be pushed higher b