Reuters. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday (January 12) said President Donald Trump did not direct the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Leavitt answered "No" when asked if Trump had a hand in the move, after Powell posted a video in which he confirmed the DOJ was investigating him over comments he made to Congress about a renovation project at the Federal Reserve building in Washington.
The Trump administration's move to open a criminal investigation comes amid the president's long-running pressure campaign against the central bank, drawing fire from the Fed chief , who called the move a "pretext" to influence interest rates and condemnation from former Fed chiefs and key members of Trump's Republican Party.
Leavitt also told reporters Trump was pleased with the cooperation of Venezuelan leaders a week after the U.S. captured former president Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the U.S. to face drug charges. She reiterated Trump's desire to acquire Greenland, amid widespread criticism in Europe, and said the government in Tehran is sending different messages to the U.S. than those it is making in public amid nationwide protests in Iran against the ruling regime.
