Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Whether election win is Trump or Biden, Fed Chair Powell still a rainmaker

Whether election win is Trump or Biden, Fed Chair Powell still a rainmaker

Election chaos won't prevent the Fed from backstopping the U.S. economy.

“The market has been correlated to the Fed. The Fed’s going to continue to ease whoever the president is,” said Robert Wolf, former UBS Group Americas chair and a FOX Business Democratic contributor. “I think the markets will do pretty well.”

Powell, whose terms ends in February 2022, began the Fed’s two-day meeting on Wednesday. The central bank will announce its interest rate decision Thursday.

Traders are expecting policymakers to hold rates near record lows, according to the CME Group’s FedWatch tool. Powell has reiterated in recent weeks that policymakers are committed to helping steer the economy through the fragile recovery while urging lawmakers to do their part.



Despite bouts of volatility and pullbacks around the election, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite are about 4% off record highs while the Dow is less than 5% from its own peak.

Policymakers have since the outbreak of COVID-19 injected $2.3 trillion into the U.S. economy and have shored up lending to Main Street, most recently by lowering the borrowing minimum for small- and medium-sized businesses to $100,000 from $250,000.

Like Wolf, many economists don’t see the Fed’s free-money train slowing down anytime soon as the ripple effects of the pandemic loom large.

“The Fed is unlikely to withdraw support until the economy is much more fully recovered,” wrote Ethan Harris, global economist at Bank of America Securities.

The ADP National Employment report, released Wednesday, showed private employers added 365,000 jobs last month, below the 600,000-650,000 estimate. Unemployment could remain elevated as another round of stimulus remains in limbo amid the election uncertainty.

Friday’s jobs report for November will provide a fresh update with the unemployment rate expected to remain at 7.9%, according to economists.

Along with the Fed’s decision, equally notable will be Powell’s press conference on Thursday. He’ll share the central bank’s outlook for the U.S. economy, and will almost certainly be asked about the outcome of the election.

President Trump, for months, attacked Powell on Twitter and in interviews for keeping interest rates too high. The president softened his tone after Powell, in March, led a rescue of the U.S. economy, injecting trillions in fiscal stimulus as COVID-19 raged.

“I would say that I was not happy with him at the beginning and I am getting more and more happy with him,” said Trump during an exclusive interview with FOX Business last July. “I think he stepped up to the plate. He’s done a good job."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×