President Donald Trump publicly warned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday that he could lose his job if he fails to persuade the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, delivering the threat with a smile during a high-profile investment summit with Saudi Arabia.

“The only thing Scott’s blowing it on is the Fed, because the Fed, the rates are too high, Scott, and if you don’t get it fixed fast, I’m going to fire your ass,” Trump said at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The remarks came as Trump stood before an audience of business leaders and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, with Bessent visibly smiling at the president’s comments.

The threat appeared partly in jest, but it underscored mounting frustration within the White House over

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