“You Appointed Him!” – CNN Anchor Blasts Trump Over Powell Remarks

By Staff, Agencies

CNN anchor Jake Tapper erupted in disbelief Wednesday after President Donald Trump claimed he was “surprised” Jerome Powell was appointed as Federal Reserve chair—despite the fact that Trump himself appointed him in 2017.

Speaking on The Lead with Jake Tapper, the host reacted to Trump’s comments to reporters earlier in the day, in which the president slammed Powell as a “terrible Fed chair” and falsely suggested he was appointed by President Biden.

“For the record, it was President Trump who elevated Jerome Powell to Federal Reserve Chair,” Tapper clarified. “He’s the one who put him in there.”

Trump’s remarks appear to conflate Powell’s initial appointment in 2017 with his reappointment by Biden in 2021. Fed chairs serve four-year terms and can be reappointed only once. Powell’s current term is due to expire in May 2026.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell in recent weeks, accusing him of refusing to lower interest rates fast enough and even calling him “stupid.” Powell, in turn, has pointed to Trump’s own economic policies—particularly tariffs—as a source of global market instability.

Tapper didn’t hold back his astonishment: “You appointed him! Does he really not remember that?” the anchor exclaimed. He then called Trump’s comments “confused,” noting the president’s growing tendency to shift blame for his own decisions.