Trump slams the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates saying he 'couldn't care less' if critics say he is attacking its independence

President Donald Trump said in a new interview said he was 'not thrilled' with the Fed's actions

He said he was 'not happy' even as he praised fed chair he nominated, Jerome Powell

Said he could 'care less' about usual mores that a president should not publicly tell the independent Fed what to do

White House forced to release statement that 'of course' Trump respects the Fed's independence

The fed has hiked rates 7 times since 2015 amid economic expansion

The White House was forced to release a statement saying 'of course' President Trump respects the 'independence' of the Federal Reserve after he blasted the Fed's decision to raise interest rates.

Trump denounced the rate hikes in an interview with CNBC, just the latest time he has strayed from the traditions normally observed by the president. He said he was 'not happy' about recent rate hikes.

'Of course the President respects the independence of the Fed. As he said he considers the Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell a very good man and that he is not interfering with Fed policy decisions,' according to a statement from the White House following broadcast of the interview.

Hoping to keep a lid on inflation as the world's largest economy gathers pace, the Fed has raised its benchmark lending rate seven times since 2015 and expects two more rate hikes this year.

Doing so slows growth, as it raises the cost of borrowing, but can also prevent the economy from overheating and tipping into recession.

'I'm not thrilled,' Trump told CNBC in an interview aired Thursday. 'Because we go up and every time you go up they want to raise rates again.'

'I'm not happy about it. But at the same time I'm letting them do what they feel is best.'

Trump said higher interest rates left the United States at a disadvantage when compared to the European Union and Japan, where easy money policies persist.

The dollar index turned negative following the release of Trump's remarks, which were excerpted from a longer interview due to air Friday morning.

The Fed is now chaired by Trump appointee Jerome Powell, whom Trump described as 'a very good man.'

Economists say state intervention in the affairs of central banks can have disastrous consequences, leading to hyper-inflation and devalued currencies.

https:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5971811/Trump-not-happy-Fed-rates.html

Get the f*** out of the building!': Whoopi Goldberg and Trump supporter Judge Jeanine Pirro fight on The View before getting into a second screaming match backstage

Whoopi Goldberg and Judge Jeanine Pirro got into a fight on The View after Pirro pointed at Goldberg and said she had 'Trump derangement'

Goldberg and Pirro screamed across the table at each other until Goldberg said she was done with the interview and the show cut to a commercial break

The two ladies got into another argument backstage which ended with Goldberg telling Pirro to 'get the f**k out of the building'

Sources said Pirro was angry before she even started filming because anti-Trump CNN contributor Ana Navarro was replacing co-host Joy Behar

Whoopi Goldberg exploded on Judge Jeanine Pirro in a fiery on-air debate about president Donald Trump on Thursday's episode of The View.

Towards the end of the show, Pirro praised Trump with lowering the unemployment rate for the first time in 50 years for 'minorities, Hispanics and African Americans' but Goldberg and fellow The View co-host Sunny Hostin said the credit should be given to former president Barack Obama.

Pirro fired back saying: 'You're suffering from Trump derangement in this room.'

When the View co-host and Trump opponent Meghan McCain said she wasn't deranged, Pirro pointed at Goldberg, setting the longtime host off.

Did you just point at me? I don't have Trump derangement, let me tell you what I have,' Goldberg shot back. 'I am tired of people starting a conversation with, "Mexicans are liars and rapists." Listen, I'm 62 years old, there have been a lot of people in office that I don't agree with, but I have never ever seen anything like this.'

She continued: 'I've never seen anyone whip up such hate, I've never seen anyone be so dismissive and clearly you don't watch this show, so you don't know that I don't suffer from that. What I suffer from is the inability to figure out how to fix this, that's my issue.'

Goldberg and Pirro then got into a screaming match, with Pirro declaring: 'You know what's horrible? When people who shouldn't be here end up murdering children of American citizens.'

'What's horrible is when the president of the United States whips up people to beat the hell out of people,' Goldberg yelled back, telling Pirro she was done with the interview.

'Say goodbye, bye! I'm done,' Goldberg said.

The show quickly cut to a commercial break, and when it returned Pirro was no longer sitting at the table.

https:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5972417/Whoopi-Goldberg-Trump-supporter-Judge-Jeanine-Pirro-fight-View.html

Jeff Flake takes to Senate floor to suggest Trump committed TREASON by giving 'aid and comfort' to 'enemy' Russia

President Trump's controversial summit with Vladimir Putin is sparking new further divisions in Congress

GOP Sen. Jeff Flake and Democratic Delaware Sen. Chris Coons offered an amendment calling for notes from summit, praising Justice Department

Flake delivered a blistering speech accusing Trump of providing 'aid and comfort' to Russia

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn blocked the resolution

Senate Leader Mitch McConnell asks two panels to consider sanctions

The Trump-Helsinki summit brought new accusations in Congress Thursday, as GOP Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona accused the president of providing 'aid and comfort' to the enemy.

Flake's choice of words evoked the Constitution's definition of treason – at a time when President Trump is facing a new level of scrutiny for his refusal to forcefully condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin for election meddling during their summit meeting Monday in Finland.

'By choosing to reject objective reality in Helsinki, the president let down the free world by giving aid and comfort to an enemy of democracy. In so doing he dimmed the light of freedom ever so slightly in our own country,' said Flake, a Trump critic who has announced his retirement from the Senate at the end of his term.

Flake referenced the Intelligence Community's findings that Russia interfered in the presidential election at the direction of Putin and the indictment last week of 12 Russian spies accused of carrying it out.

'To reject these findings and to reject the excruciating specific indictment against the 12 named Russian operatives in deference to the word of a KGB apparatchik is an act of will on the part of the president, and that choice now leaves us Contemplating the dark mystery. Why did he do that?' Flake asked.

Flaked and Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware drafted a resolution to commend the Justice Department and call for hearings to examine what transpired in Helsinki.

But Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of Texas blocked it from coming immediatley to the floor.

'The way to do our work is through bipartisan committee work, have the witnesses come and testify, ask them hard questions, and render our judgment,' Cornyn, a said.

https:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5971475/Flake-suggests-TREASON-Senate-floor-saying-Trump-gave-aid-comfort-enemy.html