Trump weighed ousting Powell in 2018, but the Fed chief told then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that he would fight his removal, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told reporters Thursday he would not step down from his appointed position if Donald Trump asked him to, saying he’d have no obligation to leave if the president requested it before the end of his term in 2026.

Jerome Powell was prepared to go to court when the president floated his dismissal six years ago. If it happens again, the Fed chair might have to pay the legal tab himself.

Jerome H. Powell, the chairman of the central bank, has been a frequent target of the president-elect, who appointed him in 2018.

The central bank has made its latest interest rate decision amid reports about Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Jerome Powell has made it clear that if President Donald Trump attempts to fire him, he’ll sue. He’s said it once, he’s said it a hundred times: The Federal Reserve’s chair can’t be tossed out simply because the Oval doesn’t like interest rate policy.