BlockBeats News, February 10 — U.S. President Donald Trump stated that his nominee for Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Wirth, has the ability to drive the U.S. economy to achieve growth of up to 15%. This statement is widely regarded as extremely optimistic and also highlights the significant political and policy pressures Wirth would face if confirmed.
In an interview with Fox Business, Trump said that Wirth was his “second choice” when he last selected a Federal Reserve Chair, and openly admitted that appointing Jerome Powell was a “major mistake” at the time. He stated that if Wirth “performs at the expected level,” the U.S. economy “could achieve 15% growth, or even more.”
However, Trump did not specify the exact scope of this growth target. For comparison, the U.S. economy is expected to grow about 2.4% this year, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 2.8% over the past 50 years. Historically, it is extremely rare for U.S. GDP growth to exceed 15%.
Trump has previously expressed multiple times his hope that the Federal Reserve would adopt a more accommodative monetary policy and emphasized that if Wirth supports rate hikes, he would not be considered for the position. These remarks are also seen as signals that Trump is attempting to stimulate the economy through monetary policy ahead of the midterm elections.
Additionally, Trump’s statements indicate that he is not concerned about inflation risks. Analysts point out that an economic growth rate approaching 15% would typically be accompanied by a significant rise in inflation, and the current U.S. inflation level remains high.