The president can't remove Powell before his term ends in 2026 simply because of policy disagreements or frustration over interest rate decisions. According to Earle, members of the Federal Reserve Board can be removed only "for cause," that is, proven misconduct, malfeasance or inability to do the job due to illness.

The Federal Reserve’s policy committee is in wait-and-see mode. The U.S. economy has entered 2025 with plenty of momentum, a briefly shaky labor market appears to have stabilized, and recent months’ inflation readings have been stubbornly above the Fed’s 2% annual target.

Federal Reserve officials are expected to leave interest rates steady this week, giving themselves more time to lower inflation and to assess how President Donald Trump’s policies will affect the economy.