Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors Lisa Cook speaks on “The Outlook for the Economy and Monetary Policy” at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 3, 2025. Kevin Lamarque | ReutersFederal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, in her first policy speech since President Donald Trump tried to remove her from office, said Monday that she supported the recent interest rate reduction and indicated she would be open to more.Since Trump made his move in August to sack Cook on accusations of mortgage fraud, she has kept a relatively low profile outside of the court battles that have kept her in her position at the central bank.In remarks before the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., the policymaker laid out her views on the economy and where she thinks monetary policy should land. Generally, she sees the economy as solid with risks to both the Fed’s goals of low unemployment and stable inflation.Cook said she sided with the 10-2 vote on the Federal Open Market Committee to lower the central bank’s benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point, the second meeting in a row that saw a cut.”I viewed that decision as appropriate, because I believe that the downside risks to employment are greater than the upside risks to inflation. I view the latest reduction in the fed funds rate as another gradual step toward normalization,” she said.Trump has been blocked by courts from removing Cook in what has been seen as a pivotal issue for central bank independence. Though White House officials have said Cook lied in forms she filled out for federally guaranteed home mortgages, she has not been convicted of anything nor have any charges …
