Trump wants to replace Jerome Powell with a Fed chair who will do what he wants. But that still may not produce the steep cuts Wall Street is counting on.

The U.S. Federal Reserve's independence is under threat from mounting political interference, according to a clear majority of economists polled by Reuters, although no one expects a July interest rate cut despite a recent divergence in views among policymakers.

The central bank remains cautious, even as calls for rate cuts grow louder from the White House and other policymakers.