White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back on questions about whether President Donald Trump believes Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has committed a crime, saying any decision on criminal conduct is up to the Department of Justice.
Leavitt’s comments came during an exchange with reporters at the White House, as attention swirled around reports of a DOJ inquiry involving Powell. According to the account discussed by reporters, Powell has said the Federal Reserve has been served with subpoenas and that he views the scrutiny as tied to the central bank’s interest-rate decisions—an area where Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell’s leadership.
Asked directly, “Does the president believe Jerome Powell is criminal?” Leavitt replied that Trump’s view of Powell’s performance is clear, but she declined to label Powell a criminal herself.
“The President has made it quite clear that Jerome Powell is bad at his job,” Leavitt said. “As for whether or not Jerome Powell is criminal, that’s an answer the Department of Justice is going to have to find out, and it looks like they intend to find that out.”
Her response reinforced the administration’s ongoing attacks on Powell’s stewardship of monetary policy, while formally deferring questions of criminality to federal prosecutors. The situation has added fresh tension to the long-running clash between the White House and the central bank, as Powell has signaled he intends to defend the Federal Reserve’s independence.
