MSNBC host Symone D. Sanders-Townsend has lashed out at President Donald Trump for targeting the “only Black woman” serving on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.
Sanders-Townsend, co-host of The Weeknight, told the network’s Morning Joe on Tuesday that it is no coincidence that Trump has tried to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the first black woman on the board.
“It is not lost on me that the person Donald Trump decided to single out was Lisa Cook, who is the only Black woman serving on the board of governors who won her who earned her seat after a very bruising confirmation battle,” Sanders-Townsend said. “If there were issues, I’m surprised they didn’t come up when she was being confirmed.”
Trump said he fired Cook from her position on the Fed’s Board of Governors after accusing her of committing mortgage fraud, which she denies. It is unclear whether he has the authority to fire her given that the board is independent and governors can only be removed “for cause.” He has previously used mortgage fraud allegations to target other adversaries, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted Trump for filing fraudulent financial statements and is also Black.
White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson hit back at Sanders-Townsend in a statement.
“If Democrats spent half as much time addressing crime in their cities as they did going on cable news to complain about President Trump, their residents would be a lot safer,” she said.
Trump’s targeting of Cook comes after the president has spent months pressuring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to slash interest rates. Trump has also floated the idea of firing Powell.
Cook, who became the first Black woman to sit on the central bank’s board, has pushed back, arguing that the president does not have the legal authority to remove her. On Thursday, she filed a lawsuit accusing Trump of violating both the Constitution and federal law by announcing she had been fired over unproven claims of mortgage fraud.
Elsewhere, Sanders-Townsend wrote an opinion piece for MSNBC arguing that Trump is risking financial harm to every American with his racially motivated attacks against Cook.
She added that the president has “built his political career by demonizing Black people,” citing his calls for the death penalty for the since-exonerated Central Park Five in 1989 and fuelling the racist birther conspiracy about former President Barack Obama.
“When he targets Lisa Cook, he is using the same playbook: target a Black woman to send a message about who belongs in power and who does not,” Sanders-Townsend wrote.
“So yes, this is about Lisa Cook’s job, but it is also about your job. Your mortgage. Your retirement account. Your savings,” she added. “It is about whether a president can remake the American economy as a personal fiefdom while getting rid of anyone who dares to stand in his way.”
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