'Very Selfish!': Trump blames Democrats and the Fed for the economy amid recession concerns
- President Donald Trump lashed out at the Federal Reserve and Democrats on Monday in his latest Twitter attack.
- He has sought to dodge any blame on the economy days after a key recession warning flashed for the first time in more than a decade.
- On Wednesday, the closely-watched yield curve inverted for the first time since June 2007.
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President Donald Trump lashed out at the Federal Reserve and Democrats on Monday, dodging any blame on the economy days after a key recession warning flashed for the first time in more than a decade.
"Our Economy is very strong, despite the horrendous lack of vision by Jay Powell and the Fed, but the Democrats are trying to 'will' the Economy to be bad for purposes of the 2020 Election,"the president wrote on Twitter, without offering any evidence on that claim. "Very Selfish!"
The White House has downplayed growing concerns about a potential downturn in recent days. In a development that has historically preceded recessions, a closely watched section of the Treasury yield curve inverted for the first time since June 2007 last week.
From the Fed to Democrats to the press, Trump has increasingly sought to shift focus away from his trade policies. American businesses have said over the past year that his tariffs and retaliatory measures have forced them to increase prices, delay investment and cut jobs.
The Fed, which operates independent from the White House, has been a frequent target of West Wing ire. The central bank lowered interest rates by a quarter percentage point at the end of July as it cited trade policy and other strains on the economy, but the Trump administration has pushed for even easier money.
"Our dollar is so strong that it is sadly hurting other parts of the world........The Fed Rate, over a fairly short period of time, should be reduced by at least 100 basis points, with perhaps some quantitative easing as well," Trump wrote. "If that happened, our Economy would be even better, and the World Economy would be greatly and quickly enhanced-good for everyone!"
On Wednesday, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro called on the independent policymakers to hold an "emergency" meeting to slash interest rates.
Trump has repeatedly complained about the strength of the dollar, which makes American exports more expensive and imports cheaper. A key initiative of his "America First" agenda has been shrinking trade deficits with other countries. Earlier in August, White House economic adviser said the administration had briefly looked into ways to manipulate the US currency.
The White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
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