On August 19, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his call for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to cut interest rates, arguing that the current policy is preventing people from obtaining mortgages and causing economic harm. This demand came ahead of Powell's scheduled speech at the Jackson Hole symposium, a key gathering of central bankers. The Trump administration also abruptly accused Federal Reserve officials of misconduct and suggested non-rate-cutting candidates for the next Fed chair, signaling a strategy to divide the central bank. These moves have intensified tensions between the White House and the Federal Reserve, drawing criticism that Trump's threats to fire Powell are reckless and could undermine economic stability, democracy, and security. The situation is described as opening a new front in the ongoing conflict over Federal Reserve policy.