Trump: US interest rates should be the lowest in the world regardless of their levels

US President Donald Trump said today that interest rates in the United States should be at the lowest level compared with those in other countries, ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy meeting scheduled to take place in the coming days.

When asked whether he expected the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates on Wednesday, Trump told reporters on the sidelines of the Irish Open golf tournament that he had no idea, adding, “The interest rate in the country should be the lowest among all countries, regardless of their rates.”

He added that the United States enjoys “the best credit rating in the world. We play a role in the wealth of other countries. We can stop that within two minutes.”

In a separate remark, Trump indicated that the United States might remain in Iran and “keep the oil,” drawing a parallel to a US effort to control one-fifth of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

Trump predicted that the war with Iran would end this year, “perhaps after the midterm congressional elections” scheduled for November.

Turbulence in the Middle East has caused volatility in oil markets, with oil traders expecting prices to rise again on Monday following an attack on an oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia.

However, Trump also raised another option: continuing engagement with Iran, likening it to the US agreement with Venezuela announced in August.

Trump said, “We will eventually come out of Iran,” unless we decide to stay and keep the oil, as in Venezuela, adding that US revenues from Venezuela “are worth many times the cost of war.”