ECB's Lagarde hopes Trump won't fire US Fed chief Powell

Washington: European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said Tuesday that she hoped US President Donald Trump would not oust the country s central b...

Washington: European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said Tuesday that she hoped US President Donald Trump would not oust the country's central bank boss Jerome Powell prematurely.

Her comments came as Trump has escalated attacks on the Federal Reserve chief, most recently berating Powell for not cutting interest rates, days after threatening his job.

Wall Street stocks tumbled Monday on Trump's latest remarks.

Asked about the possibility that the US executive branch tries to fire Powell before the end of his term, Lagarde told CNBC she hoped this situation was "not on the table."

She declined to comment on market reactions to hypotheticals, but said she hopes "that it is not a risk," speaking on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington.