President Donald Trump has downplayed the frequency and duration of his conversations with Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. The pair's interactions have once again sparked questions about whether Trump is attempting to directly influence the central bank.

On Monday, Trump insisted he has only spoken with Warsh "briefly" once since Warsh joined the Fed, even though a senior economic adviser to Trump and informed sources say the two have spoken more often. "I only spoke to him briefly a few days ago, just once," Trump told reporters. "They make it sound like I'm talking to Kevin all day, every minute."

Earlier reports indicated that since Warsh's confirmation in May, he and Trump have held multiple conversations, during which Trump asked the Fed chair about his economic forecasts and views. White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said last week that the two "have been discussing the economy all along." Trump suggested he still hopes the Fed will lower interest rates, but stated he supports Warsh "one hundred percent," adding that the central bank's monetary policy decisions are up to the Fed Board.