Tom Barkin

the day before.

I was in

Harford County, Maryland last Thursday.

I was in Northern Virginia on Tuesday.

I was in Baltimore on Wednesday.

And in each of those places, I'm actually not talking to you.

I'm talking to chambers of commerce and rotary clubs and people who are interested in what's happening in the economy.

And I think there's real value to being in front of these folks and putting a face on the Fed.

The design of the Fed was a regional design from the start.

And I think part of it was

People wanted to trust and understand the people who are making these important decisions and also to feel listened to.

And I take a lot of pride in how much interaction and engagement I have across my five states and District of Columbia.

And I hope to continue doing that.

But to me, it's not – and you know this because we've talked a lot before –

I'm not trying to talk about how many rate cuts I have in my SEP for the next nine months.

I'm trying to talk about here's how I see the economy and ask them, how are you seeing the economy?

I think I give valuable insight that way.

I like Jay a ton.

I think he's done a spectacular job, and I want Jay to do absolutely the best thing for Jay.

Well, I don't think you can mark to market the next meeting every week, even though that's what the markets do.