On October 29, 2025, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, Screens broadcast a press conference by Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, following the Fed’s announcement of an interest rate cut.
Brendan McDiarmid | Reuters
Opposition to the Trump administration’s criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is growing.
On Sunday evening, Mr. Powell said federal prosecutors were investigating him over his testimony before Congress related to the central bank’s $2.5 billion headquarters renovation project.
Powell suggested the survey reflected President Donald Trump’s frustration with the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates as aggressively as he had requested.
The investigation immediately sparked a wave of bipartisan criticism.
“The reported criminal investigation against Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell is an unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine his independence,” Monday’s statement said. It was signed by former Fed chairmen, economists, and other senior officials who served in past Democratic and Republican administrations.
Some Republicans also pushed back, with North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis saying he would block President Trump from making appointments to the Fed.
Former CEO Lloyd Blankfein goldman sachswent further, calling the criminal investigation an “attempted murder-suicide” on the part of multiple U.S. agencies.
Despite the turmoil, US markets rose. S&P500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average Even if it closes at a new high.
“I’m surprised the market isn’t more concerned,” said former Federal Reserve Chair and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. This is a “very appalling” situation, she added.
But Jim Leventhal, chief market strategist at Cerity Partners, told CNBC there are too many short-term “good things” for investors to focus on, such as a healthy economy and earnings.
That doesn’t mean there’s a clear path forward for the market. President Trump announced on Monday that he would impose 25% tariffs on countries that do business with Iran. If the pace of development in recent weeks is any indication, investors may need to brace for more obstacles in the coming days.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan, Jeff Cox and Yun Li contributed to this report
What you need to know today
Opposed to the Powell investigation. The US Republican Party criticized the criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. It also alerted prominent figures, including the former Fed chairman and Treasury secretary.
Countries doing business with Iran will face tariffs. This, according to President Trump, imposed 25% tariffs on those countries on Monday, which he said are “effective immediately.” This is President Trump’s latest move to isolate Iran economically amid massive anti-government protests in Tehran.
Apple to adopt Gemini for AI-powered Siri, multi-year partnership also extends Google Gemini and cloud technology for future Apple base models, according to a joint statement obtained by CNBC’s Jim Cramer.
US stocks hit record highs. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose Monday to new intraday highs and closed at all-time highs. pan-european Stocks 600 Added 0.21%.
(PRO) What is Trump’s medium-term strategy? Wall Street is increasingly viewing President Trump’s message as a sign that the White House will focus on growth and affordability ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November. Here’s how to play, according to analysts:
