By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s nearly unanimous decision Wednesday to reduce its key interest rate was seen by many observers as a quiet show of unity and independence amid President Donald Trump’s relentless pressure for steeper cuts and his unprecedented effort to fire a top Fed official.

Many Fed-watchers expected a contentious two-day meeting this week, with the economy’s future uncertain and a Trump appointee hastily added to the board just hours before the meeting began. The White House has also floated several members of the Fed’s governing board as potential replacements for the current chair, Jerome Powell, when his term ends in May, creating incentives for those officials to push for the deep rate cuts Trump has

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