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Since the election of 2016 the FED has raised rates 8 times. They started to do so days after Trump was elected and continued until Dec 2018. During obama's 8 years the Fed raised rates one time takibg it from .25% to .50%. after that joke the fed waited a YEAR for another one.
So let's see 2 hikes in 8 years or 8 hikes in 2 years. In other words there was an inflection point created in the economy on Nov 2016. The Fed rate hikes tells anyone paying attention that something big changed in the economy starting Nov 2016
It also tells you that the Fed raised rates too fast. It's almost like they tried to nurture Obama's economy with free money and kill Trump's with repeated stabs of rate hikes. So far, they failed at both attempts. Obama's economy was a failure and Trump's is booming.
I think Trump's attacks on the FED are entirely justified. Looking at the FED's actions for the last 10 years, it's hard not to see political calculations on their part in how and when they change rates.
Those attacks by Trump might just have saved the economy. The rate itself doesn't matter much. Sure, lower is better but it doesn't mean much if it's 2.5% or 2.25%. The biggest factor was the rate of increase. With 8 hikes in 2 years the economy was unable to absorb them.
With this 6 month pause, the economy has been able to catch it's breath and those 6 months would not have happened without Trump's attacks on the FED. Now if the fed cuts rates, it will be an additional stimulus heading into 2020.
