Meeting with Trump may turn out to be a minefield for Powell: Fed watchers

Coming amid a massive market sell-off and soon after a bevy of attacks on Powell from Trump, a meeting might only put the Fed in an even tougher spot

Of all the holiday gatherings Jerome Powell gets invited to, a sit-down in the Oval Office might be one of the last he’d want to attend.

Just days after President Donald Trump blamed the Federal Reserve chairman for the stock market’s December swoon and discussed with aides his desire to fire him, White House staff are reportedly working to set up a meeting between the two men.

While some Fed watchers said such a confab could ease tensions, most warned it might be a minefield for Powell, either creating the impression the Fed is giving in to presidential pressure, or simply generating