The speech comes as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on the Fed to lower borrowing costs. Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell and has floated firing and replacing him before his term ends in May 2026. Waller, a Trump appointee, is considered a top contender for the job in part because of his dovish stance on interest rates.

While Trump may be denying reports he will fire Powell, reports tell a different story. Here's what Tennesseans need to know about Powell and the Fed.

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Thursday he continues to believe that the U.S. central bank should cut its interest rate target at the end of the month amid mounting risks to the economy and the strong likelihood that tariff-induced inflation will not drive a persistent rise in price pressures.

The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage rose for the second week in a row, another setback for the U.S. housing market, which is mired in a sales slump as affordability constraints shut out prospective homebuyers.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, offered support Wednesday for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose policies she frequently criticizes.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday said the agency’s renovation of its office complex in Washington complies with plans approved by a local commission, disputing a White House suggestion