Deutsche Bank: Firing Powell Won't Save Much on Debt Costs

According to a report by Jinse Finance, last month U.S. President Trump cited the cost of federal debt as a new reason to urge Powell to cut interest rates. However, a new analysis shows that dismissing the Federal Reserve Chair and forcing a rate cut would be futile. Deutsche Bank's Chief U.S. Economist Matthew Luzzetti and others wrote that replacing Powell would not change the Treasury's debt interest costs. Trump has repeatedly called for a 3 percentage point rate cut, claiming it would save over $1 trillion. But according to calculations by the Deutsche Bank team, while such a move would lower short-term Treasury yields, long-term Treasury yields would rise due to concerns that a more compliant Fed would mean higher inflation. Specifically, if Trump were to fire Powell, the Treasury would only save between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion by 2027.