White House calls for Fed to reverse on rate hikes

World
Europe

President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser said on Friday the White House would like the Federal Reserve to reverse some of its recent interest rate hikes and stop shrinking its balance sheet to protect the U.S. economy from weakness overseas.

"I am echoing the president's view," National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told CNBC, confirming that he had told news website Axios that he would like the U.S. central bank to cut rates by a half-percentage point.

"He would also like the Fed to cease shrinking its balance sheet, and I concur with that view," Kudlow said.

Kudlow's remarks reflect an unusual public split between the White House and the independent central bank.

Larry Kudlow, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, speaks during a White House briefing in Washington, January 28, 2019. /VCG Photo

Prior administrations have taken care not to comment on Fed policy, but Trump has railed repeatedly against the bank's rate hikes. Even so, most of his advisers have tread more carefully and Kudlow's comments were notable for their specificity.

"This is our view. This is his view. This is my view," he said. "The Federal Reserve is an independent central bank. They're going to do what they're going to do."

The Fed last week brought a three-year rate-hike cycle to an abrupt end as it abandoned projections for any further increases in borrowing costs this year and said it would stop shrinking its balance sheet in September.

"In the absence of inflation, with some of these global threats, our view is at some point... I wouldn't mind seeing the Fed drop their target rate," Kudlow said. "We don't want to threaten this great recovery."

Source(s): Reuters