Kai Ryssdal

It is Tuesday, the 24th day of February.

Good as always.

Have you along, everybody.

All right, so to be fair to Rafael Bostic, the skateboarding modeling gig was when he was a kid.

But that is, in fact, how our interview started at an event this morning here in Atlanta.

After nine years, Saturday is Bostic's last day on the job, running one of the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks and, on a rotating basis, voting on interest rate policy.

So we started with him not getting to do that anymore.

The first thing I want to ask you is,

Not that you're done done, but what was it like leaving your last FOMC meeting, knowing that you were on your way out?

This is, and you've said a version of this, as uncertain a time, as tough a time for monetary policy and central bankers as there has been in a very long while.

First of all, why do you believe that?

Why do you say that?

Do those dissents bother you, the idea that people are going to not go along with the majority of the committee?

No.

So let's talk about for a second what you're looking at right now in this economy.

And you're not allowed to say labor market or inflation.

Go.

My job is to ask hard questions, sir.

Let me go sideways here for just a second.

Since you mentioned the president and tariffs, I truly do not want to get political about this.