Trump Says Immediate Rate Cuts Will Be A Litmus Test For Next Fed Chair, Gives Economy ‘A++++’ Rating: Report

In an interview with Politico, Trump reiterated his belief that rapid rate cuts would accelerate job creation.

• President Donald Trump agreed that any incoming Fed chief must endorse an immediate policy shift.
• Trump criticized the Fed Chair again, calling Jerome Powell “not a smart person.”
• He reiterated that the economy’s success relies heavily on continued job creation, which he believes lower rates would accelerate.

President Donald Trump reportedly agreed that immediately cutting interest rates will be a litmus test for whoever is appointed as the new Federal Reserve Chair after Jerome Powell’s term ends next year.

In an interview with Politico’s The Conversation, Trump was asked whether backing rate cuts would serve as a litmus test for selecting Powell’s successor. “Yes,” he said, adding that Powell should be doing the same, criticizing the central bank chief as “not a smart person” who “doesn’t like Trump.”

Trump reiterated his view that swift rate cuts would bolster hiring and argued that the broader economy is already on a firmer footing. “Prices are all coming down. It’s been 10 months,” he said. “It’s amazing what we’ve done.”

He also repeated his assertion that lowering rates would accelerate job creation, framing employment growth as central to sustaining the recovery.

Trump Gives Himself ‘A+++++’ On Economy

When asked to grade the economy, Trump said he’d give his performance an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.” Trump also defended his recent overseas travel, saying foreign visits are intended to secure investment commitments that benefit American workers and manufacturing. He portrayed the trips as part of a broader effort to strengthen the U.S. economy ahead of 2026.

U.S. equities gained in morning trade on Tuesday. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) was up 0.24%, the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) was up 0.18%, and the Nasdaq-100 tracking Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) rose 0.03%. Retail sentiment around QQQ on Stocktwits remained in ‘bearish’ territory over the past day.

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