Whoever replaces Jerome Powell as chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve in May knows one thing: If they don’t do what President Donald Trump wants, they risk being criminally prosecuted. That was the unambiguous message in Powell’s extraordinary statement yesterday, in which he vowed to continue to set monetary policy independently despite the federal grand jury subpoenas investigating his statements to Congress about alleged cost overruns in the renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.
“This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. … Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President,” he said.
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.”
Markets moved back into “Sell America” mode overnight as traders digested the prospect of an incoming Fed chair who lacks independent credibility: The dollar sank 0.32% against a basket of international currencies; the yield on 5-year Treasuries moved sharply up, a sign that investors now regard U.S. government bonds as being suddenly more risky; gold futures—the traditional safe haven—rose 2.21% today to hit a new record high over $4,600 per troy ounce; and S&P 500 futures are down 0.66% this morning prior to the opening bell.
