Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Trump slammed his hand-picked Federal Reserve chairman in an interview published Tuesday, suggesting his “gut” is more trustworthy when it comes to making deals “than anybody’s brain.” In a 20-minute sit-down with The Washington Post, the president blamed Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome “Jay” Powell—whom he nominated last year—for recent declines in the stock market and the impending General Motors plant closures. “So far, I’m not even a little bit happy with my selection of Jay,” Trump told reporters during the Oval Office interview. “Not even a little bit. And I’m not blaming anybody, but I’m just telling you I think that the Fed is way off-base with what they’re doing.” “They’re making a mistake because I have a gut, and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody else’s brain can ever tell me,” he said. He also threatened to cancel a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russian forces seized three Ukrainian ships Sunday in the Black Sea. Trump said a “full report” from his national-security team “will be very determinative.”