Donald Trump questions whether to 'fire' Fed chief

US President Donald Trump once again fiercely criticized the head of the US central bank (Fed) on Friday, pretending to question the wisdom of "firing" him to lower interest rates. "I don't understand why the board (of governors of the Federal Reserve, editor's note) doesn't oust this complete moron. Maybe I'll have to change my mind about firing him," Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

On Wednesday, the U.S. central bank unanimously decided to leave its key interest rates unchanged for the fourth consecutive time. Its chairman, Jerome Powell, suggested that the monetary institution should not quickly deviate from its wait-and-see stance, worried that inflation could pick up again with the tariffs imposed by the head of state.

I've been nice, I've been neutral, I've been mean. Nice and neutral don't work.

Donald Trump

"I understand that my strong criticism of him makes it harder for him to do what he should be doing - lowering rates - but I've tried every way," Donald Trump said Friday. "I've been nice, I've been neutral, I've been nasty. Nice and neutral don't work," he added, calling him an "idiot" and a "Trump hater who should never have been there."

Donald Trump himself nominated Jerome Powell to lead the monetary institution in 2018. His term ends in less than a year. One potential candidate to succeed him is Christopher Waller, who became Fed governor during Donald Trump's first term, at his initiative. Waller made his difference clear on Friday by calling for a rate cut at the central bank's next meeting in late July.