President Donald Trump faced a wave of online backlash and widespread mockery Wednesday after seemingly forgetting that he was the one who appointed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Speaking from the Oval Office during a meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Trump was asked by a reporter if he intended to fire Powell. The president didn’t hold back.
“He should have cut interest rates a long time ago,” Trump snapped. “I think he does a terrible job. He’s costing us a lot of money.”
Then came the statement that left reporters—and much of the internet—stunned.
“He’s a terrible — he’s a terrible Fed chair,” Trump continued. “I was surprised he was appointed. I was surprised, frankly, that Biden put him in and extended him. But they did.”
The moment was jarring. In 2017, it was Trump himself who nominated Powell to replace Janet Yellen as Fed chair. And while President Biden did extend Powell’s term in 2021, the original nomination was entirely Trump’s doing. The former president’s apparent confusion triggered an avalanche of ridicule on social media.
“Don’t tell him that he appointed Powell,” one user wrote on X. “Or maybe it was done with an autopen?”
Another post screamed in all caps: “YOU APPOINTED JEROME POWELL YOU F— MORON!”
Critics quickly seized on the moment as further evidence of Trump’s declining mental acuity, a concern that has gained increasing traction in recent weeks. Trump’s slurred speech at rallies, confusing statements about past legislation, and repeated public gaffes have sparked speculation about cognitive deterioration.
“Trump confusing who appointed the Fed Chair is not just embarrassing—it’s alarming,” tweeted political strategist Mike Nellis. “He’s out here trashing Powell like it’s Biden’s fault, when it was literally his decision. What else doesn’t he remember?”
Mark Chadwick, a former Republican communications director, called the incident “the clearest sign yet” that Trump “shouldn’t be anywhere near the nuclear codes again.”
“This is not about policy differences,” Chadwick said. “This is about memory. Judgment. Basic awareness. Trump is now contradicting history that’s less than a decade old—his own administration’s history.”
Some users online mocked Trump’s possible fallback excuse, suggesting he might soon claim someone else made the appointment on his behalf. “Maybe it was the autopen?” one commenter quipped, referencing the automated signature tool presidents sometimes use for ceremonial signings.
The timing of Trump’s remarks is especially notable as economic tensions grow amid ongoing inflation concerns and public scrutiny of Fed interest rate policies. Trump, who has long treated the Fed Chair position as a personal extension of his economic agenda, has flip-flopped between praising and criticizing Powell depending on market trends.
In 2018, Trump called Powell “the right man for the job.” By 2019, he was reportedly exploring legal avenues to fire him. And now, in 2025, it appears Trump has forgotten appointing him altogether.
Progressive commentators seized on the moment to highlight the irony. “Trump’s followers believe he’s a genius businessman,” journalist Elie Mystal wrote. “But he can’t even remember who he hired to run the central bank. This is the same man who confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi and thinks Obama invaded Iraq.”
The White House has not issued a clarification or correction as of Wednesday afternoon. Powell has also remained silent on the incident.
For many observers, though, the gaffe was more than just a flub—it was another data point in a disturbing pattern.
“This is what happens when a cult leader runs out of lies and starts forgetting which ones he told,” one viral post read.
The clip of Trump’s remarks has already garnered millions of views, and pundits predict the moment will feature prominently in upcoming political ads—particularly those focusing on age, competency, and Trump’s mental fitness as he seeks a second second term.
As one user on X put it succinctly: “If Biden had said this, Fox would be running 24/7 ‘Dementia Watch.’”
