Trump Threatens to Cut Off Trade with Countries Running US Deficits
US President Donald Trump has escalated his pressure campaign against the Federal Reserve, threatening to halt trade with countries running trade deficits with the United States unless the central bank lowers interest rates.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, September 4, Trump wrote: 'LOWER THE RATE OR I'LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT.'
The threat came hours after a stronger-than-expected US jobs report complicated the case for an immediate rate cut. The US economy added 162,000 jobs in August, well above economists' expectations of roughly 53,000-55,000.