Inflation is up, stocks are down, and more tariffs are on their way. Trump wants interest rates to come down but the direction of travel is making it less likely that the Fed will deliver the cuts he wants. It’s not clear whether Trump can extract himself from the policy cycle he has created.

The case for a U.S. interest rate cut remains unresolved as Federal Reserve officials head into their policy meeting later this month, with data showing fresh signs of higher inflation and President Donald Trump intensifying his demands for lower borrowing costs.

Christopher Waller, a potential contender to be the next chair of the central bank, said the Federal Reserve should not wait for the labor market to weaken to reduce interest rates.