Trump "Anyone who opposes my position cannot be Fed chair"

U.S. President Donald Trump expressed a strong position on the selection criteria for the next Federal Reserve (Fed) chair and the direction of monetary policy.

On the 23rd (local time), according to economic news channel Walter Bloomberg, President Trump said, "Anyone who disagrees with me can never be Fed chair," and "The next Fed chair must agree with my policy direction."

President Trump also set a clear condition regarding interest rate policy. He said, "If the market is doing well, the new Fed chair must lower interest rates."

This is interpreted as a continuation of President Trump's ongoing criticism of the tight monetary policy stance of current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Trump has in the past also argued that high interest rates impede economic growth.

Markets view Trump's remarks as both re-highlighting concerns about the Fed's independence and suggesting that the process for selecting the next chair could directly affect expectations for monetary policy.

Candidates for the next Fed chair mentioned include Fed Governor Christopher Waller and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, and attention is focused on how Trump's public remarks might affect the selection process.