Trump Resumes Push to Fire Fed Governor Cook Despite Supreme Court Obstacle

U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited his push to dismiss Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, whom he views as a thorn in his side.

According to U.S. media outlets such as ABC News on August 7 (local time), the White House sent a letter to Fed Governor Cook on August 5 notifying her that President Trump is considering her dismissal and demanding a written response to the allegations within 21 days.

The letter stated that Cook committed a crime punishable by up to 30 years in prison, or that even if it does not amount to a crime, she committed negligence that casts doubt on her credibility as a Fed governor.

The White House's demand for a response concerns allegations of mortgage fraud against Governor Cook.

President Trump announced her dismissal in August of last year, claiming she had engaged in misconduct during the mortgage process.

However, the U.S. Supreme Court put the brakes on her dismissal in June.

Without judging the merits of the dismissal decision, the court took issue with the fact that Governor Cook had not been given an opportunity to explain herself.

This White House letter is interpreted as an effort to provide Cook with a chance to defend herself and secure procedural legitimacy for her dismissal.

At the time of the Supreme Court's decision, President Trump had warned that he would "take appropriate action immediately."

Governor Cook's side stated, "There is no legitimate reason for dismissal. As we did before, we will fight this new pretext [put forward by the White House] and protect the governorship."

Governor Cook maintains that she did nothing wrong during the mortgage process and that President Trump is fabricating the case to force her out.

As the Fed's first Black female governor, Cook was appointed in 2022 under the Joe Biden administration, making her a target for President Trump.

Because there is no precedent for a president firing a Fed governor, whether Cook is dismissed is regarded as a major test of the Fed's independence.

The allegations regarding Governor Cook's mortgage were raised by William Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Director Pulte has won President Trump's favor by repeatedly raising suspicions against the president's political opponents based on FHFA data.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.