By doubling down on the investigation into Jerome Powell, President Donald Trump is ensuring that the Federal Reserve chair won’t go anywhere soon.
After Powell said he would remain at the central bank until the Justice Department drops its investigation into Fed renovations, Trump on Thursday put his weight behind the probe, telling reporters: “There is criminality.”
“All I want to do is bring out to the public that this guy is … a very incompetent guy and he may be a dishonest guy,” Trump added.
He’d previously panned the judge who derailed the investigation last week as “Wacky, Nasty, Crooked.”
“Everyone wants to impugn the integrity of the judges,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, the North Carolina Republican who’s pledged to keep lawmakers from confirming Trump’s pick for Fed chair until the probe is over. “That’s boring to me too.”
He and other GOP senators said this week they hoped US Attorney Jeanine Pirro would ultimately decide against dragging out the investigation by filing an appeal. But Trump’s comments indicate that’s unlikely.