President Donald Trump met Thursday with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for the first time since beginning his second term, pushing for lower interest rates amid economic uncertainty. The Fed confirmed the meeting but said Powell did not share policy expectations and emphasized that future decisions would depend entirely on economic data. Trump has criticized Powell frequently on Truth Social and again accused him of delaying rate cuts. In a public statement, Powell reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to objective and non-political analysis. The meeting comes as markets expect the Fed to hold rates steady through the summer, with a potential cut not anticipated until September.
