President Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed to have “just heard” that all four of former President Joe Biden’s appointments to the Federal Reserve were approved by “autopen,” suggesting they are not authorized to serve in those roles.
Trump provided no evidence for the claim, which piggybacks on his repeated assertion that all of his predecessor’s documents that were signed using an autopen are invalid.
But he said he thinks it is “something we have to look into.” And he suggested that the list of autopen-signed appointees could include Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who has faced near-constant criticism from Trump over his handling of the central bank and U.S. interest rate levels.
Trump for months, without success, repeatedly pressed Powell and the Fed to cut interest rates and lambasted them when they failed to do his bidding. The Fed in September and then in October cut rates. Trump’s comments came on the eve of a meeting by the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee, which sets interest rates. The Fed is expected to cut rates for a third time on Wednesday.
Trump appointed Powell as Fed chair during his first presidential term. Biden reappointed Powell in 2021. Powell’s term is set to expire in May.
