Kevin Hassett faces blowback for calling for New York Fed to be 'disciplined'

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett is facing blowback for saying that Federal Reserve Bank of New York staff should be “disciplined” for a tariff report that was unfavorable to the White House.

The criticism comes at a time when the Fed’s independence from the White House is a politically fraught topic. Hassett made the remarks on Wednesday about New York Fed research that found the Trump administration’s tariff policies hurt U.S. companies, calling the report an “embarrassment.”