Trump threatens to cut trade with some countries if Fed doesn’t lower rates

On Friday, President Donald Trump publicly demanded that the Federal Reserve lower interest rates, issuing a threat to cut off trade with certain economies with which the United States maintains a deficit if the central bank fails to comply.

The president's demands were delivered in a lengthy social media post following the release of an August jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed that U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs, exceeding expectations.

This move marks an intensification of pressure from the executive branch on the independent central bank, linking monetary policy decisions directly to international trade relationships and trade deficits.