U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his criticism on Thursday of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, calling him a "fool" and complaining that the Fed is refusing to lower interest rates. Trump has been on a virtual war path against Powell in recent weeks,

The Fed operates with a dual mandate of keeping the labor market healthy while maintaining stable prices. At the moment, the labor market remains solid and inflation, while not at the 2% annual level the Fed desires, has come down significantly. That could change if some of the more aggressive Trump tariffs take effect.

Trump's "large increases in tariffs," if "sustained," are "likely to generate a rise in inflation, a slowdown in economic growth and a rise in unemployment," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at an afternoon press conference.