The Federal Reserve's modus operandi through years of attacks from President Trump has been straightforward: Head down, do your job, don't get sucked into counterattacks.
- Fed chair Jerome Powell tossed that playbook aside in responding forcefully to the prospect of criminal charges over his stewardship of the Fed's building renovation.
The big picture: Some 36 hours after the shocking news broke, the strategy is working. Trump allies within the administration and on Capitol Hill are distancing themselves from a potential Powell prosecution.