Vice President JD Vance said it would be “absurd” if Trump hadn’t fired federal governor Lisa Cook, but critics said her removal could destroy the board’s credibility.
Vice President Vance denies Trump’s enemy list in an exclusive interview
Vice President JD Vance said in an exclusive interview that President Donald Trump focuses on law enforcement rather than political retaliation.
- Vance said it would be “idiot” if Trump weren’t able to fire Lisa Cook from the federal government as the president was elected to set policies across the country.
- Vance denied that Trump has a list of enemies despite ongoing investigations of current and former staff including John Bolton, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff.
WASHINGTON – Vice President J.D. Vice President Vance told USA Today in an exclusive interview that if President Donald Trump fails to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve it was “silly,” but denied that the president has a list of enemies pursuing federal investigations.
“The question is, do you want someone who’s making such a mistake to be someone sitting on the Federal Reserve Committee? Vance said Trump’s major allies had blamed Federal Reserve Governor Cook for the irregularity of his mortgages.
“I think we know this is a person, whether it’s a criminal or not, whether it’s intentional or not, we don’t meet the standards we should expect from the Federal Reserve. That’s why the president fires her and he has the legal right to fire her,” Vance said.
Trump’s move comes in efforts to make independent central banks muscular and cut interest rates. Cook refused to resign, and her lawyer said he would file a federal lawsuit to combat what he called Trump’s “illegal conduct.” Cook has not been criminally charged.
Trump argued that central banks should cut interest rates to promote housing growth and the economy. However, when the Federal Reserve was established in 1913, Congress sought to protect it from political influence by saying that officials could only be excluded for a “cause.” That means a good reason.
“Is it a bit ridiculous to say that the President of the United States (the elected President of the United States) is not capable of working with Congress, of course, to make these decisions?” Vance said. “We don’t think we are allowing bureaucrats to sit from high and make decisions about financial policies and interest rates without the opinions of those elected to serve the American people.”
The Supreme Court refused to stop Trump from firing tens of thousands of federal workers, including the so-called head of the Independent Committee. However, in a unsigned decision in May, the High Court said the Fed is different because its governor can only be removed for a cause.
Legal experts said it is unclear how the Supreme Court will control Trump’s efforts to drive out food for unproven claims. Critics say removing cooks could destroy the Fed’s independence.
But Trump accused Michigan and Georgia homes of “potentially criminal” behavior as they declared in mortgage documents that they were each “major residences” for her.
Vance said it would be “idiot” if the president couldn’t take people off the seven-member board of directors of the Federal Reserve.
The conflict over the Fed is due to the Justice Department investigating a handful of Trump’s political enemies. Targets include former national security adviser John Bolton, former CIA director John Brennan, former FBI director James Comey, Democrat New York Attorney General Letitia James, and D-California Sen. Adam Schiff.
Brennan and Comey participated in an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election based on the Obama administration, which claimed Trump had unfairly targeted his campaign. Bolton served in Trump’s first administration, but became a critic of the president’s voice, and the FBI searched his home on August 22nd.
James won a civil ruling of business fraud against Trump for his private real estate business, but the appeals court overturned $454 million in monetary damages. And Sif led Trump’s first bounce each over his deal with Ukraine. James and Schiff are both investigating mortgage fraud. This is the same allegation Trump exercises against Cook.
Vance denied Trump having a list of enemies.
“No, not at all,” Vance said. “I think the president thinks that the law should be enforced. If people break the law, of course, they should face charges for doing so.”
Vance pointed out that he forgives Democrats along with Republicans who believe Trump was unfairly charged.
“It’s about law,” Vance said. “And if the president thinks a person is wrongfully charged, he will either mercilessly or commute to their sentence. Whether he is a Republican or a Democrat, if he thinks he has violated the law, he will encourage his Department of Justice to chase him.”
