Trump blasts 'moron' Jerome Powell after interest rate stays stagnant, warns of tariffs

President Donald Trump lambasted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, calling him a “moron,” after Powell opted not to lower interest rates this month, ending a string of quarter-point cuts.

 “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell again refused to cut interest rates, even though he has absolutely no reason to keep them so high. He is hurting our Country, and its National Security,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “We should have a substantially lower rate now that even this moron admits inflation is no longer a problem or threat.”

The president warned that the chairman is costing the United States hundreds of billions of dollars per year in “totally unnecessary and uncalled for INTEREST EXPENSE.”

“Because of the vast amounts of money flowing into our Country because of Tariffs, we should be paying the LOWEST INTEREST RATE OF ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD,” Trump said, pointing to other countries that pay low interest rates only because the “U.S.A. allows them” to do so.

 

Jerome “Too Late” Powell again refused to cut interest rates, even though he has absolutely no reason to keep them so high. He is hurting our Country, and its National Security. We should have a substantially lower rate now that even this moron admits inflation is no longer a…

— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) January 29, 2026

He explained that other countries maintain a “significant trade surplus” thanks to their interest rates, even while paying tariffs to the U.S. Trump also hinted at raising tariffs if the Federal Reserve refuses to budge on rates. After three consecutive cuts in September, October, and December, the current rate of 3.5% to 3.75% held steady on Wednesday.

“In other words, I have been very nice, kind, and gentle to countries all over the World. With a mere flip of the pen, $BILLIONS more would come into the U.S.A., and these countries would have to go back to making money the old fashioned way, not on the back of America,” Trump stated.

 

“The Fed should substantially lower interest rates, NOW! Tariffs have made America strong and powerful again, far stronger and more powerful than any other Nation,” he argued.

“WE SHOULD BE PAYING LOWER INTEREST RATES THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!” The president’s post concluded.