Trump Softens Tone on Jerome Powell, and the Federal Reserve Chair May Have Senator Kennedy to Thank for It

Red State ^ | 04/22/2025 | Sister Toldjah

[SeekAndFind]

As RedState reported earlier, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) did an interview on "Meet the Press" Sunday, where he dropped facts on Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) on the issue of whether suspected MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to El Salvador in March, had been afforded due process.

"In my judgment, [Van Hollen] is utterly and gloriously wrong," Kennedy told host Kristen Welker. "I mean, most of this gauzy rhetoric is just rage bait. Unless you’re next-level obtuse, you know that Mr. Garcia is never coming back to the United States ever," he also remarked.

"The other point I would make is that Chris says Mr. Garcia's had no due process," Kennedy continued. "He's been in front of 17 judges, some of 'em twice, probably $5 million worth of legal fees, and he hadn't had to pay a dime."

---

READ MORE -->> Sen. Kennedy Schools Van Hollen Over 'Due Process' Claims About Abrego Garcia

---

While on the program, Kennedy was also asked by Welker about President Donald Trump's recent statements on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, including what Trump posted on Truth Social about how Powell's "termination cannot come fast enough." 

Before we get to Kennedy's thoughts on the matter, here's what Trump posted in full last Thursday:

The ECB [European Central Bank] is expected to cut interest rates for the 7th time, and yet, “Too Late” Jerome Powell of the Fed, who is always TOO LATE AND WRONG, yesterday issued a report which was another, and typical, complete “mess!” Oil prices are down, groceries (even eggs!) are down, and the USA is getting RICH ON TARIFFS. Too Late should have lowered Interest Rates, like the ECB, long ago, but he should certainly lower them now. Powell’s termination cannot come fast enough!

That, and Trump also stating while talking to reporters in the Oval Office the same day that "If I want him out, he’ll be out of there real fast, believe me," led to widespread speculation in Media and Pundit World about whether Trump intended to try and fire Powell - and if he even had the authority to do so.

On "Meet the Press," here's what Kennedy had to say about it:

Welker: But as you know tensions have been mounting between the president and the Fed chair. Would you support President Trump removing Jerome Powell as Fed chair?

Kennedy: I don't think the president, any president, has the right to remove the Federal Reserve chairman. I think the Federal Reserve ought to be independent. I think that Jay Powell and President Trump need to sit down and once again, have a hug and cup of hot cocoa and work it out. My experience with Jay Powell is that he's got tiger blood. He's going to do what he thinks is right. And, he's not going to go down in history as the Federal Reserve chairman that allowed the inflation to become wild as a March hare. And he's going to do what he thinks he's got to do.

Watch:

Sen. John Kennedy: "I don't think the President—any President—has the right to remove the Federal Reserve Chairman ... I think Jay Powell and President Trump need to sit down and, once again, have a hug and a cup of hot cocoa and work it out." pic.twitter.com/tMT0KekxND— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 20, 2025

While it's unclear for sure whether Kennedy and/or Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were influential on this issue, or whether Trump's just going with his gut feelings after the stock market reacted the way it did to him also calling Powell a "major loser" Monday, the president appears to have softened his tone a bit:

.@POTUS on Fed Chair Jerome Powell: "I have no intention of firing him. I would like to see him be a little more active in terms of his idea to lower interest rates ... but, no, I have no intention to fire him." pic.twitter.com/PoWuuCqUwT— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 22, 2025

As always, we'll keep you posted on the latest developments. Stay tuned.

[philman_36]

Hey, Kennedy, you're the obtuse one. END THE FEDERAL RESERVE and go back to Constitutional money.

Or do you not know what that is? Paper debt instruments are not Constitutional money.

You people in Congress need to do your jobs and not relegate our money management to a debtor lending institution.

[bigdaddy45]

I think this is a good thing.

[central_va]

You think everything that helps globalism and the status quo is a good thing.

[central_va]

Audit the FED. Sick DOGE on their asses.

[bigdaddy45]

Hey, you’re criticizing Trump on this one genius. He backed down. And now my 401K will stay a 301K and won’t go down to a 201K. At least for now.

[proxy_user]

I would attribute this change to the bond market, not Sen Kennedy. A jump of 20 basis points would be just the beginning.

[USA-FRANCE]

Actually, if we’re being honest about history, it was the United States — under both Republican and Democrat leadership as a whole — that created and aggressively promoted globalism after World War II. Indeed, it wasn’t some organic, grassroots global consensus... It was an American-led project, from the Bretton Woods system (which fixed currencies to the US dollar) to the founding of the IMF, World Bank, and later the WTO. The U.S. shaped the modern global economy in its image, because it benefited from it. So if we now want to critique globalism - a several decades long US policy... why not. But, other nations will start to ask when will we decide what we really want? Changing our mind back and forth is not helping.

Maybe we should start by looking at how America imposed that very structure on the rest of the world—through trade, military alliances, and corporate dominance and try to reverse engineer all that... somehow... it will not be done in a day...

[dfwgator]

Yep, they laid on the guilt trip that US isolationism, and the refusal to join The League Of Nations led to WWII.

[MinorityRepublican]

Maybe we should start by looking at how America imposed that very structure on the rest of the world—through trade, military alliances, and corporate dominance and try to reverse engineer all that... somehow... it will not be done in a day...

Zelensky refuses to give up on recapturing the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Fine.

USA will eventually abidicate its role in the Russia-Ukrainian War.

The EU is going to have to help Ukraine.

[cp124]

Keeper of the Banksters.

[odawg]

You need to revise your conception of globalism. Globlaism is the effort to get rid of nation states such as the United States and have it become a mere state in a worldwide Federal system governed by unelected bureaucrats.

[icclearly]

Just another boondoggle by Trump. Throw bombs and then backtrack.

Apparently, he is unaware of less flamboyant and destructive ways to solve problems.

I'm reminded of the old meme, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull $h$#t.

I voted for him three times, given the other choices, I don't regret it. I expected a little destruction -- but not quite like this.

[central_va]

I hope all America Last losers die homeless, penniless on a SF street corner. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR 401K.

[bigdaddy45]

Of course they don’t care about mine. But they care about their own. Again, Trump backed down. Why are you raging at me? Go call the White House or run out to the woods and scream at the wind.

[bigdaddy45]

Its 5D chess... dontcha know??

[Socon-Econ]

Cheap money without pro-growth legislation = inflation and bad news for savers.

[lewislynn]

Thanks but no thanks Senator.