Trump says president should 'have the right to comment' on Fed rate decisions

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday offered a new defense of his view that he should influence Federal Reserve decisions if elected, as he answered questions during an appearance in Chicago.

“I think I have the right to say, ‘I think you should go up or down a little bit,’” Trump said at an event hosted by the Economic Club of Chicago.

“I don’t think I should be allowed to order it, but I do think I have the right to comment on whether or not interest rates should go up or down,” the former president added.

Trump has previously said he wants to have greater influence on Fed decision-making if voters return him to the White House. He made this argument in August, saying the U.S. central bank “got it badly wrong.” Furthermore, a report published in April said that its allies have proposals to undermine the Fed’s independence.