Trump Is Trying to Turn the Federal Reserve Into His Next Political Weapon

This isn’t about interest rates. It’s about control.

Once again, Donald Trump is abusing the power of the federal government—this time by ordering the Department of Justice to investigate Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell because Powell won’t step aside.

Powell released a video responding to the pressure, and in the calm, professional way only a career public servant can, he told Trump to go fuck himself. Not literally—but the message was unmistakable.

And that matters.

Because that’s what a real public servant looks like: someone committed to the rule of law, to democratic institutions, to doing their job under Democrats or Republicans without turning it into a partisan weapon or a personal cash grab. Jerome Powell is one of the few people in government who’s stood up to Trump’s intimidation and lived to tell the tale.

The details of this “investigation” don’t matter. We already know what it is. It’s bullshit. It’s the same playbook Trump used on James Comey, Letitia James, Adam Schiff, and anyone else who doesn’t kneel.

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Donald Trump cannot tolerate dissent. Anyone who refuses to obey becomes a target.

That’s why an independent Federal Reserve matters. The Fed is supposed to make decisions based on what’s best for the economy—not what benefits Donald Trump personally. Even if you disagree with Powell’s rate calls, you should understand why independence from the White House is non-negotiable. Just like an independent DOJ should be non-negotiable.

Trump hates anyone he can’t control. Across the federal government, if you tell him no—if you say something’s illegal or push back in any way—he’ll try to remove you. That kind of loyalty test creates dangerous groupthink and leads to disastrous decisions. Jerome Powell keeps standing up to him, and every time he does, it sends a message to other public servants: you can resist this. Trump cannot allow that.

And let’s be real—Trump wants to weaponize interest rates. He wants them lowered to juice the markets, inflate borrowing, and make it easier for himself and his cronies to rake in cash. Lowering rates right now could wreck the economy. The job market is shaky. AI is blowing up entire industries. Tariffs are driving up costs. Trump doesn’t care. He wants cheap money. He wants power. Once the Fed is captured, it becomes another tool to punish anyone who steps out of line.

Powell’s had the guts to contradict Trump publicly. Trump loves to brag about how “great” the economy is—then demand lower interest rates to “prove” it. Powell’s been willing to say, nope, it’s not that strong. The job market’s under pressure. Lowering rates now could tank the economy and hurt workers. That’s not partisan—it’s his actual job. Trump can’t stand that.

This is personal. Everything with Trump is personal. He feels challenged. He feels embarrassed. And when Trump feels embarrassed, he lashes out. That’s why this looks exactly like what he did to Comey, Letitia James, Adam Schiff, Harvard, and Jimmy Kimmel. He will weaponize the federal government to punish people he doesn’t like.

Going after Powell sends a chilling message to every federal worker: don’t stand up to me. Don’t cross me. Or I’ll ruin you. We’ve already seen it—FBI officials purged for investigating January 6th. You think the people left behind are eager to investigate Trump now? Of course not. That’s the whole point.

Trump thinks the rules are fake. Nothing’s ever held him accountable. He’s rich, connected, and shameless, and he genuinely believes the law doesn’t apply to him. He wants to prove that to the country again.

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Chaos is the point. This isn’t some lazy “distraction” theory—it’s deliberate. He floods the zone with bullshit so you can’t focus. Just this week: ICE violence, political scandals, economic instability, January 6th anniversaries. He turns everything into a circus while the largest transfer of wealth in modern history keeps rolling in the background.

And at the end of the day, this is a loyalty test. Trump doesn’t want a technocrat at the Fed. He wants a sycophant—someone who’ll hand him the keys to the financial system.

The Fed isn’t perfect. It’s made real mistakes. It’s often been callous toward workers. But those decisions were based on data—not revenge or political loyalty. Powell was appointed, confirmed by the Senate, and has served under both parties.

Now ask yourself: who would Trump replace him with?

Someone fighting for workers to buy homes, build wealth, and retire with dignity?

Or someone making sure Trump and his friends get cheap money—while the rest of us get screwed?

That’s why this matters. That’s why an independent Fed matters. And that’s why this abuse of power is dangerous as hell.