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Trump tells Fed to slash rates or he’ll end trade with countries with U.S. surpluses
CNBC ^ | September 4, 2026 | Kevin Breuninger

Posted on 09/04/2026 7:25:48 AM PDT by Miami Rebel

President Donald Trump on Friday demanded that the Federal Reserve slash interest rates or else he will cut off trade with countries with which the U.S. maintains trade deficits.

Trump issued the sweeping ultimatum in a Truth Social post reacting to a much-stronger-than-expected monthly jobs report by urging the central bank and its chairman, Kevin Warsh, to “get smart” and cut rates.

Read Trump’s full post:

Great jobs number just announced, breaking all estimates (except mine!) by double and triple - And you haven’t seen anything yet! EMPLOYERS ADDED 162,000 JOB IN AUGUST. Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago! A STRONG COUNTRY MEANS A LOWER INTEREST RATE - IT’S A BETTER CREDIT…Very simple! We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World, like “the old days.” Without the United States agreeing to allow them their big surpluses, and we could stop that immediately, they would no longer be considered financially ELITE! LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT, which the U.S. Supreme Court, in its ridiculous and very costly Tariff decision, strongly acknowledged “the President” has an absolute right to do. IT’S BETTER THAN TARIFFS! The Fed Board, with its great new leader, must get smart - BE PATRIOTS for a change. High interest rates put the U.S.A. at a very unfair disadvantage, and I won’t allow that to happen! President DONALD J. TRUMP

This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: handsoff; inflation; normalizerates; rates; stayinyourlane; tariffs
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One of my partners sent me this. When I saw the headline I thought it was from a parody account.

When I read this to my son (we're out of town for a grandson's first birthday,) he said that it's like the scene in Blazing Saddles where Sheriff Bart holds himself hostage.

1 posted on 09/04/2026 7:25:48 AM PDT by Miami Rebel
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To: Miami Rebel

It’s an odd threat, but a threat nonetheless. I’m a stubborn old guy. If I were the Fed chairman, I’d dig my heels in a bit just to show my independence.

This is probably why no president has appointed me to any position.
😀


2 posted on 09/04/2026 7:37:35 AM PDT by Leaning Right
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To: Miami Rebel

The fed could lower rates AN ENTIRE POINT in this economy!!!

WTF are they waiting for? It to turn bad again?


3 posted on 09/04/2026 7:41:26 AM PDT by Mr. K (no consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself.)
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To: Miami Rebel

That’s the most foolish thing he said in quite a while. And that is saying quite a bit.


4 posted on 09/04/2026 7:42:48 AM PDT by GrootheWanderer
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To: Miami Rebel

Jaw droppingly bad idea.

The Erdogan school of economics strikes again.

Reminds of that old National Lampoon magazine cover with the gun to the dog’s head:

Do This Stupid Thing.... Or the Economy Gets it!


5 posted on 09/04/2026 7:44:09 AM PDT by Capn Hayek (Capital is not responsible for Labor's lack of planning)
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To: Mr. K

Let me try to explain for the umpteenth time:

Lowering short-term rates = cheapening the dollar. It is expansionist/inflationary.

It is a step central banks take in a weakening economy.


6 posted on 09/04/2026 7:45:54 AM PDT by Miami Rebel (RE)
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To: Mr. K

“The fed could lower rates AN ENTIRE POINT in this economy!!!”

So you want 15% inflation?
Government needs to spend less money and have lower deficits.


7 posted on 09/04/2026 7:47:30 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (“I don't really care, Margaret.”)
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To: Miami Rebel

The Fed has finally been doing a great job and I support them.


8 posted on 09/04/2026 7:49:22 AM PDT by Vision (“Our Democracy” means "Our Slush Fund." The Left is hate.)
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To: Miami Rebel
The Constitution assigns the control of the currency to Congress. By having removed the Bretton Woods gold exchange mechanism, Nixon effectively transferred control of the value of the currency via interest rates to the Federal Reserve, a semi-private agency outside the control of the democratically elected government.

That's in fact the big issue here.

We are caught between the Scylla of an elected government that cannot be trusted to manage a fiat currency and the Charybdis of a bank and Wall Street controlled entity that inflates or deflates the currency for its own interests.

The only way to get out of this is to reestablish a tie to gold and reissue the currency. That would also end the vast trade deficits as they would have to be paid for in gold and if you do that you must devalue your currency against the trade surplus countries' currencies.

9 posted on 09/04/2026 7:52:01 AM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: Vision
he Fed has finally been doing a great job and I support them.

The Fed is the reason we've had 50% or more inflation over the past few years and why we're $40 trillion in debt.

The Fed enables utterly irresponsible government actions like the lockdowns followed by "COVID cash." And during most of my lifetime, it has tightened monetary policy when it should not have or kept policy too loose for far too long.

10 posted on 09/04/2026 7:59:02 AM PDT by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: Mr. K
That is absolutely ridiculous. The current inflation rate is 3.4%. The current Fed benchmark interest rate target is 3.5 - 3.75%.

If interest rates were dropped 1%, the interest rate would be less than the inflation rate. Who in their right mind would lend money at less than the inflation rate? Where is the risk premium there? Geeez

11 posted on 09/04/2026 7:59:50 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. e)
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To: Miami Rebel

You’re a globalist free traitor so being pro American doesn’t make sense to you.


12 posted on 09/04/2026 7:59:57 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: Miami Rebel

Economic expansion is not inflationary. Productivity always makes up the difference.


13 posted on 09/04/2026 8:01:55 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: pierrem15

You’re right. But Powell, guilty of gross malpractice and being smug and arrogant about it, is gone now. Don’t forget Powell was appointed by Trump.


14 posted on 09/04/2026 8:02:46 AM PDT by Vision (“Our Democracy” means "Our Slush Fund." The Left is hate.)
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To: pierrem15

Yep, the Fed has not reached its goal of 2% inflation for over 5 1/2 years now,,,,since Jan. 2021. Really impressive performance…/s


15 posted on 09/04/2026 8:03:07 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. e)
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To: Miami Rebel

I voted for this.


16 posted on 09/04/2026 8:03:36 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: volare737

What was the fed rate in 2021?


17 posted on 09/04/2026 8:04:58 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: volare737

who says inflation has to be 3 or 4 %

Diring Bidumb they kep claiming it was 9 - to 12 percent, when it cearly was nearly 100% (total over 4 years)

I could enjoy a few years of 1 or 2% inflation


18 posted on 09/04/2026 8:05:10 AM PDT by Mr. K (no consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself.)
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To: Miami Rebel

dumb or malicious?


19 posted on 09/04/2026 8:05:31 AM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: central_va

Feel free to lend me as much money as you can at less than the inflation rate!…lol


20 posted on 09/04/2026 8:06:26 AM PDT by volare737 ( Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated. e)
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