Federal Reserve cuts interest rates amid mixed economic data and divisions in its ranks - PBS NewsHour

[Rhiannon12866]

The Federal Reserve cut interest rates Wednesday for the third time in a row, but left big questions about any additional rate cuts in the future. The Federal Open Market Committee voted to cut its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point to between 3.5 and 3.75 percent. Krishna Guha, vice chairman of investment banking firm Evercore ISI, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the impact. - Aired on 12/10/2025.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Bent to pressure from Trump & Co.

Fed Chair, Jerome Powell, was against lowering interest rates (at least too quickly) earlier this year.

Significant internal disagreement exists, with some Fed officials pushing for fewer cuts (hawks) and others for more aggressive action (doves), highlighted by dissents in the latest meeting. The Fed is managing a complex situation with a gradually cooling labor market and somewhat elevated inflation, complicated by tariff impacts.

But the takeaway is/was that the Fed was doing a wait-and-see strategy. Waiting to see if the Economy had/has improved before lowering interest rates. And it hasn't. Just the opposite with job losses and "affordability" for consumers generally.

I don't see how lowering interest rates will help.

When Trump replaces Powell, expect to see the interest rates to be further lowered, only not as incrementally.