White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Friday President Donald Trump and his team were studying the matter when asked if firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was an option, an indication that a matter of great consequence for the central bank's independence and for global markets remained under active consideration by the White House.

Trump’s call for Powell’s ousting comes after the markets tumbled in response to his comments yesterday that tariffs could spur price hikes and further weaken the economy. Trump’s post also came shortly after the European Central Bank lowered rates by a quarter point this morning,