Trump calls – President Donald Trump said it’s “unfair” to raise interest rates after a jobs report that showed employers added 172,000 jobs in May and revised prior months upward. Speaking on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on June 7, Trump pushed back on economists’ warnings t
President Donald Trump didn’t wait for the market reaction to settle before weighing in. In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that aired June 7. he argued that raising interest rates after a strong jobs report would be “unfair. ” even as traders increasingly prepare for a higher-rate path this year.
The pressure point is the latest U.S. labor data. Employers added 172,000 jobs in May, and the Labor Department revised previous months upward. Financial markets tanked after the release, with the stronger-than-expected report shifting expectations toward rate increases rather than cuts.
Trump framed the argument in blunt, moral terms. “We had a great report. We’re doing great, and it’s unfair that whenever you do great they want to raise interest rates,” he told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. “It should be the opposite.”
He also connected the idea of fighting inflation to labor-market performance. “Success can kill inflation just like higher interest rates,” Trump said.
The Fed debate now lives in the tension between two realities: inflation has remained high. and the economy continues to grow. As a result, traders have increasingly started to expect an interest rate increase rather than a cut this year. Trump rejected that setup. saying. “My feeling is that when a country is doing well. they shouldn’t be penalized by immediately raising interest rates.”.
His comments arrive while Trump’s approach to the Federal Reserve still faces scrutiny. During his second term, he has acted to exert influence over the central bank, raising concerns about the Fed’s independence. But Trump insisted he wants leadership insulated from political pressure.
“I want him to be independent,” Trump said, referring to the Federal Reserve chair. He reiterated the pledge after Kevin Warsh was sworn in as chair in late May. Trump said Warsh is already the kind of figure he wants at the helm.
“Kevin is fantastic, and I want him to do whatever he wants,” Trump told Welker. “I don’t want to have a big influence on him.”
There’s a clear sequence to the latest friction between fiscal success and monetary restraint: a stronger jobs report leads markets to adjust. the prospect of rate hikes tightens expectations. and Trump responds by arguing that good economic news shouldn’t trigger punishment at the central bank. The central question is whether the Fed’s next move will track the market’s reading of inflation risk—or Trump’s insistence that success should help. not hurt.
For now, Trump is setting the political tone ahead of whatever the Federal Reserve decides next. He has made independence a stated goal, while also signaling—in the language of fairness—that the labor-market momentum captured in May should not automatically translate into higher borrowing costs.
Donald Trump Federal Reserve interest rates Kevin Warsh jobs report inflation labor department NBC Meet the Press financial markets
So basically he’s saying if the jobs numbers are good then rates shouldn’t go up. Ok.
I don’t get it, rates go up when inflation is high… but if jobs are good that means inflation should go down? Like which one is it. Sounds like everyone’s just making excuses.
Trump “moral terms” are hilarious. If markets tank after jobs data, isn’t that literally the point of interest rates?? Also 172k jobs?? that seems fake or cherry picked to me.
The Fed debate is always the same circle. They say inflation still high but economy growing, so Fed should do something… meanwhile Trump’s like “unfair” so he just wants cuts anyway. Success killing inflation like higher rates is backwards though because higher rates are what hurts regular people, not inflation. And I’m pretty sure the Fed reacts to politics even when they pretend they don’t.