Trump Invites Fed Chair Powell to White House for Economic Talks, First Meeting Since 2019 

President Donald Trump met with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the White House on Thursday for the first time in over five years to discuss key economic issues including growth, inflation, and employment. According to a Fed statement, Powell reiterated the central bank’s commitment to making monetary policy decisions based solely on incoming economic data and non-political analysis, without offering specific guidance on future rate moves. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump used the meeting to criticize Powell’s reluctance to cut interest rates, characterizing it as a policy misstep. The encounter comes amid renewed friction between the White House and the Fed, with Powell navigating inflationary pressures intensified by Trump’s tariff agenda. Despite previous threats to dismiss Powell, Trump recently said he had no plans to remove him. 

The meeting occurred as the Fed maintains its benchmark rate at 4.25%–4.50%, citing elevated risks to both inflation and employment, particularly in light of the administration’s trade actions.