Federal Reserve Governor Resigns Amid Trump’s Pressure – Is Powell Next?

Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Adriana Kugler has resigned from her position. This decision comes amid a sensitive period for the central bank’s leadership, which is currently being pressured by US President Donald Trump to implement a heavy interest rate cut. Kugler Steps Away While Fed-Trump Standstill Remains On August 1, the Federal Reserve announced that Adriana D. Kugler is resigning from her position as a governor, effective August 8, 2025. The American economist and former US executive at the World Bank was nominated to the Fed Board by former US President Joe Biden in May 2023 and sworn in on September 13, 2023.In the resignation letter submitted to Trump, Kugler expresses sincere gratitude while citing no reason for her recent decision. She said: It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. I am especially honored to have served during a critical time in achieving our dual mandate of bringing down prices and keeping a strong and resilient labor market. Meanwhile, the Fed has also noted its appreciation of Kugler’s service. The apex bank’s chairman and highly influential figure, Jerome Powell, stated: I appreciate Dr. Kugler’s service on the Board and wish her very well in her future endeavors; She brought impressive experience and academic insights to her work on the Board. Adriana Kugler is now expected to return to Georgetown University to continue her career as a professor. Notably, Kugler’s departure comes as Trump continues to call for the Fed under Jerome Powell’s leadership to lower interest rates. The US President has consistently and publicly made these demands, claiming the high interest rate (between 4.25% – 4.50%) set by the independent apex bank is driving up government borrowing costs and having other adverse economic effects. Two weeks ago, Bitcoinist reported on circulating rumors that Powell may be considering a resignation amidst this heightened tension between both parties. While Kugler’s resignation statement made no claims of this policy feud, it may be indicative of a deeper discord within the Federal Reserve or mounting pressure from the political front that may be influencing internal dynamics.Meanwhile, the potential replacement of Powell by a candidate who agrees with Trump is interpreted as a strong bullish development by the crypto market. The President is pushing for a 300-basis-point cut, which could significantly free up investors’ capital for risky assets such as cryptocurrencies. Crypto Market Overview At the time of writing, the total crypto market cap is valued at $3.67 trillion following a 2.23% decline in the past day.