This "Markets Weekly" video on April 19th, focuses on two major developments: President Trump's apparent escalating conflict with the Federal Reserve and updates on ongoing trade tensions. The overall theme revolves around the potential impacts of these policies on the markets and the global economy.
The first major issue discussed is Trump's increasing criticism of Federal Reserve Chair "Chirpau" (likely Chair Powell) and potential efforts to replace him. The video begins by framing Trump's actions as a broader "counter-revolution" targeting institutions by removing individuals and trying to install his own people. The concern here is that while such actions are acceptable for some positions like Treasury Secretary, the Fed is commonly viewed as an independent body. Trump attempting to replace Fed officials raises questions about the central bank's independence.
The speaker then brings up a statement from "Chirpau" who said the Fed would not intervene to save the stock market, and committing to observing data to respond, but not cutting rates preemptively. Trump interpreted this as political maneuvering against him. Trump has said he is unhappy with "Chirpau" and has even considered replacing him with Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor known for his hawkish stance. The speaker finds this confusing since he believes a hawkish policy would only worsen the situation.
The concern about Trump's potential influence over the Fed is compared to President Erdogan's influence on monetary policy in Turkey, where appointing loyalists to the central bank led to unorthodox and unsuccessful policies. The fear is that Trump's actions might lead to a similar loss of faith in the dollar and U.S. financial markets, as losing independent monetary policy would be bad for financial markets. The speaker also notes that Secretary of the Treasury and Kevin Warsh have discouraged Trump from firing the Fed Chair.
The speaker cites research suggesting that the dollar is already showing signs of losing its luster, as the premium traditionally associated with holding U.S. Treasury bonds compared to FX-hedged German bonds is disappearing. This is seen as an indicator of declining foreign investor confidence.
The video acknowledges that the Fed Chair appointment is subject to Senate confirmation and, even without firing Powell, Trump will get to appoint his own Fed Chair next year.
The video then takes a step back and considers the situation from Trump's perspective. Trump believes the Fed is being politicized and acting against him, given examples like Fed officials suggesting monetary policy to push Trump out of office, and the Fed cutting rates right before the election last year. The speaker emphasizes that this is what Trump believes is happening.
The second part of the video addresses updates on trade. Negotiations with Japan haven't led to any resolutions, with Trump pushing for Japan to shoulder more of the cost of U.S. military bases and buy more American cars. The speaker notes that American cars aren't very popular in Japan.
In contrast, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy is a Trump-friendly leader, who requested Trump to come to Italy for a summit at the European level to discuss trade. Trump appeared optimistic about reaching a deal, but the speaker made it clear that this is preliminary.
The focus then shifts to China, where there appears to be a lack of progress in trade negotiations. Trump's public blaming of China for the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have negatively impacted the already strained relationship.
Finally, the video presents an alternative perspective on trade wars from the European Central Bank (ECB). While the U.S. might experience a negative supply shock leading to higher prices and slower growth, the ECB sees the trade war as a negative demand shock for Europe, potentially leading to lower growth and lower inflation. This is because Europe is an exporter, and trade being rerouted to Europe, thus increasing supply. This divergence suggests further differences in monetary policy between the U.S. and Europe.
The video concludes by anticipating further developments in the "war against the Fed" and promising to watch the political climate closely.