US politics live: Donald Trump floats plan to sack Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell
Donald Trump could make good on his threat to fire Jerome Powell according to a new report, drafting a letter to dismiss the Federal Reserve Chair.
Though the President insisted to reporters he was not currently planning to axe Mr Powell – who he has subjected to months of escalating attacks – he did not rule out it out, either, and confirmed he had informally polled Republican politicians on the matter.
'I talked to them about the concept of firing him,' Mr Trump said.
'I said, 'What do you think?' Almost all of them said I should. But I'm more conservative than they are.'
Mr Trump added: 'I don't rule out anything, but I think it's highly unlikely.'
The heightened rumours come as the President unleashed on some of his own supporters in a furious tirade, calling them 'weaklings' and accusing them of falling for a 'bulls**t … scam' as the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein files continues.
Mr Trump is facing the most serious split of his political career from his famously loyal right-wing base over suspicions his administration is covering up lurid details of the convicted child sex offender's crimes in order to protect rich and powerful figures they say are implicated.
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