President Donald Trump could be setting up Fed Chair Jerome Powell as a 'scapegoat' if a recession hits, according to an MSU economist.

In recent comments, some Federal Reserve officials have discussed the possibility of lowering the central bank's key interest rate as soon as June.

The president said he has “no intention” of ousting Jerome H. Powell, the Fed chair, but the administration’s willingness to challenge norms regarding the central bank’s political independence is causing concern.