Trump's War on the Federal Reserve Escalates With a Criminal Subpoena
WSJ Opinion: Potomac Watch
The Wall Street Journal
4 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 12 January 2026
⏱️ 28 minutes
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| 0:32.6 | From the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal, this is Potomac Watch. |
| 0:39.1 | The Trump administration sends a criminal subpoena to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome |
| 0:45.5 | Powell, who says he will not back down from these threats. |
| 0:50.2 | What in the name of monetary policy is going on here. Plus, Iran's regime turns its guns against |
| 0:57.5 | protesters as it tries to remain in power, while President Trump says the U.S. might have to |
| 1:03.2 | intervene on behalf of the protesters. How would that take place? Welcome to Potomac Watch the Daily podcast of Wall Street Journal Opinion, |
| 1:13.5 | and I'm Paul Gie Go, and now I'm here today with Joe Sternberg and Elliot Kaufman. |
| 1:19.1 | Joe, let's start with the shocker late Sunday about the criminal subpoena from the Justice |
| 1:25.2 | Department to Jerome Powell. Let's listen to Chairman Powell in a highly |
| 1:29.3 | unusual video respond to the subpoena. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the |
| 1:36.1 | Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, |
| 1:42.0 | rather than following the preferences of the president. |
| 1:45.0 | This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions |
| 1:51.0 | or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation. |
| 1:57.0 | I have served at the Federal Reserve under four administrations, Republicans and Democrats alike. |
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