Fed Cuts Interest Rate by Quarter Point Amid Trump Pressure, Shutdown Uncertainty
The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, its second cut this year, amid intensifying pressure from President Donald Trump and ongoing economic uncertainty surrounding the government shutdown.
The Federal Open Market Committee voted 10 to 2 to lower the federal funds rate to a target range of 3.75 percent to 4 percent, a modest adjustment that policymakers said reflects caution about slowing job growth and mixed inflation signals.
The decision follows an identical rate cut in September, and while markets had widely expected another reduction, the central bank’s accompanying statement and Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks made clear that further cuts this year are far from guaranteed.
“A further reduction of the policy rate in December is not a foregone conclusion — in fact, far from it,” Powell told reporters during a press conference. “We remain committed to supporting maximum employment, bringing inflation sustainably to our 2 percent goal, and keeping longer-term expectations well anchored.”
Powell acknowledged the potential for short-term economic strain caused by the government shutdown, now in its third week, but said the Fed does not anticipate lasting damage.
“The shutdown of the federal government will weigh on economic activity while it persists,” Powell said. “But these effects should reverse when the shutdown ends.”
The rate cut came after weeks of public pressure from Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Powell for not lowering interest rates fast enough. The president has dubbed Powell “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell” and in September suggested he could face a lawsuit over cost overruns tied to renovations of the Fed’s historic headquarters.
“Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell must NOW lower the rate,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, accusing the central bank chief of “gross incompetence.”
Powell, appointed by Trump in 2018 and reappointed for a second term in 2022, did not address the president’s comments directly. But in a subtle defense of the Fed’s independence, he said the committee’s decisions are “based on economic data and analysis, not political considerations.”
Two Fed officials dissented from the majority decision. Fed Governor Stephen Miran, a Trump nominee, pushed for a larger 50-basis-point cut, arguing that stronger monetary stimulus was needed to counteract slowing investment and weaker consumer spending. Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid opposed any reduction, warning that continued cuts could stoke inflation and reduce the Fed’s flexibility later.
Financial markets reacted cautiously to the announcement. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 200 points immediately after the decision but slipped back after Powell’s comments about uncertainty surrounding December’s meeting. Bond yields fell, while the dollar weakened slightly against major currencies.
The rate cut also reflects the Fed’s effort to stabilize conditions amid the Democrat-led shutdown, which has furloughed thousands of federal employees and delayed the release of key government data.
Powell said missing economic reports will complicate decision-making ahead of the next policy meeting.
“Without complete data, we have to rely more heavily on private indicators and surveys,” he said.
The White House, meanwhile, claimed credit for the Fed’s decision, with senior officials arguing that Trump’s pressure campaign forced Powell to act.
“The president has been clear from day one — lower rates mean stronger growth,” said one senior administration official. “He’s fighting for American workers and consumers, and the Fed is finally catching up.”
Powell’s term as Fed chair expires in May 2026. Trump has already indicated that he intends to appoint a successor “more aligned” with his economic agenda, signaling potential changes ahead for the central bank’s direction. For now, Powell’s message to markets was one of caution.
“We will continue to make decisions meeting by meeting,” he said, “based on the totality of incoming information and the outlook for the economy.”
Despite the modest nature of Wednesday’s move, analysts said the cut could help ease pressure on credit markets and give businesses some breathing room as Washington grapples with the budget standoff.
But they cautioned that if inflation remains above target, the Fed may face difficult choices in the months ahead.
BANNED' - Clinton Judge Reads Her Verdict - President Donald Trump Has Been Informed That He Just Beat Gavin Newsom...
JUDICIAL RECKONING
The return of national sovereignty and administrative lethality reached a new milestone this Thursday, April 9, 2026. A blockbuster ruling in Los Angeles has left the DNC establishment and globalist elite reeling.
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against California’s controversial "No Secret Police Act," blocking the state from prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks. Judge Christina Snyder ruled the law unconstitutional, marking a decisive victory for President Donald J. Trump and the Department of Justice.
The court affirmed the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, stating California cannot discriminate against federal officers while exempting its own law enforcement. Attorney General Pamela Bondi praised the ruling, emphasizing the administration’s zero-tolerance stance on harassment of federal agents.
This decision reflects the 2026 mandate: a legal framework prioritizing the safety of American officers over the sanctuary policies pushed by Governor Gavin Newsom. It signals a sweeping rollback of state overreach in immigration enforcement.
Meanwhile, in Texas, a federal jury delivered historic terrorism convictions against nine members of a radical antifa cell. The group was found guilty for a violent 2025 attack on an ICE detention facility that left a police officer shot in the neck.
Ringleader Benjamin Song faces potential life imprisonment after evidence proved the attack was a coordinated assault using explosives and rifles—not the “noise demonstration” the defense claimed. Prosecutors called the verdict a landmark affirmation of Trump’s domestic terror designation.
With Kash Patel at the FBI and Todd Blanche at the DOJ, the dismantling of extremist cells has accelerated. Federal agencies continue to secure detention centers like Prairieland against those attempting to destabilize the republic.
Governor Gavin Newsom attempted to spin the court ruling as a “win,” citing the upheld “No Vigilantes Act.” But the truth remains: the centerpiece of his anti-ICE agenda—the “No Secret Police Act”—has been effectively struck down.
The defeat exposes the weakening foundation of California’s sanctuary policies. While Sacramento prioritizes the “civil rights” of illegal aliens, the Trump administration is defending the constitutional rights of federal officers.
The week closes as a sweeping administrative triumph for the Trump-GOP platform. From Los Angeles courtrooms to Texas jury boxes, real results—not rhetoric—are forging the 2026 midterm shield.
With 5% GDP growth and a secure border, the nation is reclaiming its stability and sovereignty. America moves forward with vigilance, resolve, and a renewed commitment to law and order.
God bless the USA—and the leaders who refuse to bow to the swamp or the radical mob.
oFar Left 'Squad' Member Learns Her Fate As Her Primary Election is Called
Washington D.C. — The far-left “Squad” took another massive hit Tuesday night as Missouri Democrat Rep. Cori Bush was soundly defeated in her primary by challenger Wesley Bell, who led by double digits with 54.9% to Bush’s 41.8%.
Bush, one of the most extreme voices in Congress, joins Rep. Jamaal Bowman as the second Squad member to lose her seat this cycle. Her defeat is a clear rejection of the radical socialist, anti-police, pro-Hamas agenda she has pushed since entering Congress in 2021.
Bush rose to prominence after participating in the Ferguson riots and has spent years promoting false narratives about Michael Brown while calling for defunding the police — even as violent crime soared in her St. Louis district. She has repeatedly aligned herself with pro-Hamas protesters, blamed Israel for the October 7 massacre, and faced controversy over allegedly funneling thousands of campaign dollars to her husband for “security services” while demanding less police protection for her constituents.
Republicans celebrated the win with well-deserved mockery. Pro-Trump comedian Terrance K. Williams posted:
“A ‘BLACK JOB’ IS SOMETHING CORI BUSH DOES NOT HAVE. OH HAPPY DAY! She is the second Squad member to lose her seat! I can’t wait until they are all gone.”
Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, who served with Bush on the House Judiciary Committee, sarcastically noted:
“I will miss Cori Bush missing every committee meeting.”
Students for Trump co-founder Ryan Fournier added:
“The Squad’s Cori Bush has LOST her primary. Join me in saying GOOD RIDDANCE! Hamas might be hiring, Cori!”
Even actor Michael Rapaport, a vocal Israel supporter, celebrated:
“Tonight at the rally they said let’s bring back ‘JOY’ to politics and boom CORI BUSH is done with Politics…. I feel JOY all of a sudden.”
This is the second straight blow to the radical Squad. Jamaal Bowman lost his primary earlier after endorsing pro-Hamas demonstrators on college campuses. Both Bush and Bowman blamed their defeats on pro-Israel funding from AIPAC rather than admitting the truth: their extreme, anti-American, and anti-Israel positions have become toxic to voters.
The radical left’s Squad is crumbling because the American people are rejecting their agenda of defunding police, embracing socialism, supporting radical Islamists, and putting foreign interests above American citizens. Voters want secure borders, safe streets, strong economy, and leaders who put America First — not performative radicals who miss committee meetings and push policies that hurt their own districts.
Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, the Republican Party is becoming the party of working Americans, law and order, and common sense. Meanwhile, the Democrat Party continues its death spiral — hemorrhaging voters, losing favorability, and watching its most extreme members get rejected at the ballot box.
Cori Bush’s defeat is not just a loss for one radical congresswoman. It is a rejection of the entire Squad’s toxic ideology. The American people are waking up and choosing sanity over socialism, strength over weakness, and America First over America Last.
More Squad members are on the ballot soon. The trend is clear: radicalism is losing, and the America First movement is winning.
