Fed governor's firing shows that Trump is beyond all restraint [View all]

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Fed governor’s firing shows that Trump is beyond all restraint
As the retaliations mount, the president increasingly sees himself as omnipotent

By Heather Digby Parton
Columnist
Published August 26, 2025 9:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) On Monday night, President Donald Trump announced he was seeking to fire Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Federal Reserve’s board of governors, after days of escalating hints and speculation. In moving to dismiss Cook, who was confirmed by the Senate to her seat in 2022, Trump sought to legally justify his position by pointing to “sufficient cause” — unproven allegations that she had committed mortgage fraud.

Through a spokesperson, Cook was unequivocal in her response and suggested she was ready to do battle. “President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022.” Her attorney, Abbe Lowell, pledged to “take whatever actions are needed to prevent his attempted illegal action.”

Like all things Trump, there’s more to his action than meets the eye. Cook’s firing comes against the backdrop of the president exerting extraordinary pressure to bend the nation’s central bank to his will and lower interest rates. He has often mused about firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell in a bid to assume greater control of U.S. economic policy.

And make no mistake: This is about control, and it goes far beyond the Federal Reserve. .................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/08/26/fed-governors-firing-shows-that-trump-is-beyond-all-restraint/