US Senator Mike Lee became the center of attention after sharing on social network X a photo that was said to be the resignation letter of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In the post, Mr. Lee wrote "Powell has left the chair!" with two red alert horn symbols, creating the impression that Mr. Powell has officially resigned.
However, this article was quickly deleted. Mr. Lee admitted that he shared the image without verifying its authenticity. The image looks like a real resignation letter, but after a few seconds I realized that no one would post it, so I decided to be cautious and delete the post, he explained.
Accordingly, the impersonation petition contained many spelling errors and the Fed's seal was also inaccurate, seemingly created with AI technology.
This fake petition reads: After much reflection, I have decided to resign as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, effective from the end of today's working day, July 22, 2025. However, no official source confirmed this.
Not only Lee, conservative political campaigner Benny Johnson was also caught up in the incident. He shared the image on social media before admitting: Jeroom Powells resignation letter was fake. Please do not spread it. Apologizes. How lost. But I still really want him to resign.
Mr. Powell, appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, has recently been repeatedly criticized by the White House owner for not cutting interest rates to what is considered reasonable. Despite the pressure, Mr. Powell has repeatedly stated that he will not resign, even if the President directly requests.
Last week, President Trump continued to question a group of Republican lawmakers about whether Powell should be sacked. However, the President said he had apparently changed his mind, stating: I think he was working poorly, but his term is also about to end. He will leave the chair in 8 months. Mr. Powell's term is expected to end in May 2026.
Meanwhile, the White House is reviewing a $2.5 billion spend on renovating the Fed headquarters in Washington. The review was led by Deputy Chief of Office James Blair and Budget Director Russell vought. However, neither confirmed whether the move was related to Mr. Powell.
