Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would have eased monetary policy by now if not for President Trump’s tariff plan, which raised inflation forecasts and caused the central bank to hold rates steady.

Speaking at a European Central Bank forum, Powell explained that the tariffs led the Fed to pause rate cuts despite pressure from the White House.

The Fed has kept interest rates unchanged since December and indicated possible cuts by the end of 2025 but remains data-dependent and cautious about timing, CNBC has reported.

Written by B.C. Begley