Moore after withdrawing from Fed: ‘I’m bummed out, frankly’

Stephen Moore expressed disappointment on Thursday after President Trump announced that he was no longer being considered for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board.

“I’m bummed out, frankly, that I’m not going to be over there, the Fed, because I think I could have some ideas that the Fed really needs,” Moore said during a phone interview with Fox Business Network’s Neil Cavuto on Thursday afternoon.

Moore, a conservative commentator whom Trump had floated for the Fed position for weeks, blamed a left-wing “smear campaign” for the demise of his potential appointment.

{mosads}”This is kind of a victory lap for the left because they took me down with a smear campaign,” Moore said. 

“If they think my ideas were so, you know, out of the box,” he added, “why didn’t they debate me on the economic ideas?” 

Trump announced Thursday that Moore was taking himself out of consideration for a seat on the board amid opposition from Senate Republicans. The president’s tweet came hours after Moore said that he was “all in” on being nominated to the Fed.

“Steve Moore, a great pro-growth economist and a truly fine person, has decided to withdraw from the Fed process,” Trump tweeted, adding that he asked Moore “to work with me toward future economic growth in our Country.”

The move follows weeks of scrutiny over Moore’s past comments and writing, including a column arguing that women should not be allowed to participate in certain sports and one remarking that the man should be the breadwinner of a family.

Moore has since apologized for the sports column, calling it a joke, and said that he shouldn’t have made the breadwinner remark.

Trump first floated Moore as a possible pick for the Fed board in March. Herman Cain, who Trump had also suggested for a separate board seat, also withdrew from consideration. Cain was a controversial pick due to previous sexual misconduct claims.