Former President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
Search every verified James Bullard interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. James Bullard, former president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and current dean of Purdue University's Daniels School of Business, has commented extensively on Federal Reserve policy in recent months. He has stated that he considers it a good time to raise interest rates to address inflation, noting that the real economy appears strong with a labor market near full employment while inflation runs about 100 basis points above the Fed's preferred measure. Bullard has also said he believes the Federal Open Market Committee is split roughly evenly on the direction of policy, and he has suggested that a September rate hike would be a reasonable option, while cautioning that a "one and done" approach would likely be insufficient if the Fed is serious about returning inflation to 2 percent. Bullard has also discussed the leadership of Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, saying he thinks Warsh's approach to forward guidance is "spot on" in seeking to rebalance the influence of the Fed and markets on interest rate determination, moving from what Bullard described as a 90 percent Fed and 10 percent market weighting toward a 50-50 split. He has expressed concern about U.S. fiscal policy, citing 6 percent deficits and a $40 trillion national debt with no apparent plan to address them, and has said that divided government makes action on deficits unlikely. Additionally, Bullard has argued that the Fed risks falling behind the curve by tolerating core PCE inflation around 3 percent for several years, which he said looks like an implicit acceptance of a 3 percent inflation target.
"I think that interest rates are determined by an intersection of what the Fed does and what the market is thinking. And I think he just felt like it got overweighted toward the Fed. It was 90% Fed and 10% market. He wants it to be 50% Fed, 50% market." Former St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard on Kevin Warsh and forward guidance.
Gold, the Fed and a September rate hike: former Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President Jim Bullard on Kevin Warsh's Jackson Hole speech, why foreign central banks found physical gold more desirable than Bitcoin, and why he thinks the FOMC is split pretty much down the middle. Warsh told Jackson Hole this morning that responsibility for 65 months of inflation sits squarely with the central bank. Markets moved a September hike from a long shot to the base case inside an hour. Bullard puts the committee divide at roughly 10 to 9, explains why a hold could still be hawkish, and lays out the…
In this episode of On Investing, Liz Ann Sonders and Collin Martin examine the recent surge in global bond yields and what it means for investors. Collin explains that long-term Treasury yields have risen due to a combination of the Federal Reserve's hawkish posture, elevated uncertainty premiums, fiscal concerns, and a global move higher in interest rates. He emphasizes that inflation expectations remain relatively well-behaved, suggesting the rise in yields is less about fears of runaway inflation and more about uncertainty, government borrowing needs, and a "higher for longer" interest rate…
Former St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard discusses Wall Street's rebound after the Treasury said it plans to boost buybacks of longer-dated bonds, a signal the US wants to lower borrowing costs after yields hit multi-decade highs. Bullard speaks with Bloomberg's Jonathan Ferro. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. Bloomberg Talks curates top interviews from around Bloomberg News. Hear conversations with the biggest names in finance, politics and entertainment. On Bloomberg Talks, we round up interviews with Fortune 500 CEOs, government offi…
Dean of Purdue's Business School former St. Louis Fed President supports Warsh's instincts to look at shrinking Fed's balance sheet https://kathleenhays.substack.com/p/b...
The arrival of Kevin Warsh as Chair of the Federal Reserve marked a regime shift. At its June meeting, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) dropped its easing bias, opening the door to interest rate hikes as supply shocks collide with hotter demand. The Fed also announced five new task forces to evaluate key priorities, from inflation frameworks to AI’s impact on productivity and the labor market. Under Warsh, the central bank sent an unmistakable message: This is just the opening act for a very different Fed. James Bullard, former President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Loui…
CNBC's Frank Holland is joined by Jim Bullard, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, to discuss the Supreme ...WE NOW WANT TO BRING IN FORMER SAINT LOUIS FED PRESIDENT JIM BULLARD. JIM, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
Bullard: Plosser Would Urge to Fed to Step Up Inflation Fight as Key Indicator Hits 3%. Former St. Louis President, Dean of Purdue's Business school, says former Philadelphia Fed president being honored by SOMC would stress Fed's need for inflation-fighting credibility. https://studio.youtube.com/
James Bullard, Purdue University’s Mitch Daniels School of Business dean and former St. Louis Fed President, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the February PPI data, impact on the Fed's interest rate outlook, state of the economy, and more.
Former St Louis Fed President Jim Bullard discusses the state of the Federal Reserve amid Kevin Warsh's nomination process. Republican Senator Thom Tillis says he's still waiting for the DOJ to end the probe into Chair Powell before he votes to confirm Warsh. Bullard speaks with Bloomberg's Jonathan Ferro, Lisa Abramowicz, and Annmarie Hordern. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. Bloomberg Talks curates top interviews from around Bloomberg News. Hear conversations with the biggest names in finance, politics and entertainment. On Bloomberg Ta…
Bullard: As Powell Steps Down as Fed Chair, He May Stay on as Fed Board Governor Former St. Louis Fed President, Dean of Purdues's Mitch Daniels School of Business sees economic ground being laid for rate cut in second haf of year https://kathleenhays.substack.com/
Program Recorded: January 22, 2026 The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States. This robust system is managed through monetary policy put forth by Federal Reserve Bank presidents around the nation. James Bullard, current Dean of the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University and one of the nation’s foremost economists, was one of those policymakers for fifteen years. Hear from Dean Bullard himself as he shares his experiences with the Federal Reserve, his insights as an economist, and his reflections on the legacy of the Federal Reserve as we approach the 250th ann…
“I would listen to the market here. I think they've got money on the line. They're actually pricing inflation risk directly. So I think it's a better measure of inflation expectations. And the market is giving the Fed the benefit of the doubt. They do think that some factors are temporary that have pushed up inflation. And so I think I would go with that. I think the University of Michigan survey, as long as it has be”
“The committee is split pretty much down the middle. So 10 to 9 or one way or the other. I think a lot of people that are sitting on the fence could be convinced to go either way. And I think the speech today recognized that and stated the case which is basically the main case that the committee is making as a whole which is just that the real economy is doing quite well. The inflation has not come down. They may have”
“I think the committee is very much at risk of falling behind the curve because they've been tolerating 3% core PCE inflation for several years. I checked, and at the end of 2023, it was 3%. At the end of 2024, 3% or higher, at the end of 2025, 3% again, and now they're projecting for 2026 that core PCE inflation will be probably 3.2%, which is actually the highest of all those. So really, no progress over four years.”
“I think it's just been they're a little bit more dovish than they thought they were. And so, they'll have to get tougher in order to get rid of the remaining inflation that they have.”
“I don't think the one and done is a good way to plan for policy. If you are serious that you're going to raise the rate just once, most people would say, 'Well, that's not going to have much effect.' And so, I think if usually the committee wants to realign policy in one direction or the other, so they have several rate hikes or rate cuts in mind in those situations. And then they embark upon that process.”
“Well, it's probably going to take rate increases. I think the committee was too high last year, and they did point to the weakening, apparently weakening labor market in the second half of last year and that was grounds for the 75-basis-point reduction that occurred last year. But as we got into 2026, it's become clearer that the administration's policies are pro-growth. The labor market has firmed up compared to wha”
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