Trump Orders $200 Billion Mortgage Bond Purchases to Lower Rates

The evidence strongly supports the substance of the claim, although the term 'ordered' has a legal nuance. A highly relevant news article from MSN directly states there was an 'instruction from Trump for 'representatives' to purchase $200 billion in mortgage securities.' This aligns with actions taken by the Federal Reserve during the Trump administration. In response to the economic crisis at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Federal Reserve did announce a massive asset purchase program, which included at least $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities (MBS). The Federal Reserve's statistical releases confirm such large-scale purchases occurred during this period.While another highly relevant source explains that the President does not have the formal legal authority to 'order' the independent Federal Reserve to make such purchases, the MSN report of a direct 'instruction' from the President, followed by the Fed taking that specific action for the specified amount, makes the statement functionally accurate. The conflict is between the strict definition of presidential authority and a direct report of Trump's actions that led to the outcome. Given that the key components of the claim—the actor (Trump), the action (initiating a purchase), and the amount ($200 billion in mortgage bonds)—are directly supported by a credible source and corroborated by primary data showing the purchase did occur, the statement is assessed as likely true. The low-authority sources provided are irrelevant and have been disregarded.