Trump Renews Effort to Fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook

The White House on Friday, August 7, 2026 (16 Mordad 1405), revived its effort to remove Lisa Cook, the first Black woman to serve as a Federal Reserve governor. According to Al Jazeera, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino sent Cook a letter dated August 5 stating that the president is considering removing her from her position, giving her three weeks to respond to unproven mortgage-fraud allegations.

Trump first raised the allegations in August 2025. Under US law, Federal Reserve governors can only be removed "for cause" and serve 14-year terms; in June 2026 the US Supreme Court blocked Trump's earlier attempt to fire Cook. The move comes as Trump has pushed for rapid interest-rate cuts, which new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has yet to deliver. Cook's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said there is no valid cause for her removal.