In a rare meeting at the White House, President Trump confronted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, urging him to lower interest rates, which he labeled as a mistake not to do so. Powell defended the independence of the Federal Reserve, emphasizing that monetary policy decisions would be based on non-political analysis. This confrontation comes after Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell and the Fed for their stance on interest rates. While Trump stepped up his calls for rate cuts, Powell remained firm in his assurance that the Fed will not yield to political pressure.