Sen. Warren on Trump phone call, credit card rate cap and tackling affordability

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  January 14, 2026 at 14:27  |  11:20  |  CNBC
Speakers
Elizabeth Warren — US Senator
Joe Kernen — Co-Anchor, Squawk Box

Summary

Senator Elizabeth Warren joins Squawk Box to discuss her phone call with President Trump, which the White House described as productive. She outlines her push for a cap on credit card interest rates and a Senate-passed housing supply bill stalled in the House, and spars with hosts over who is to blame for the affordability crisis. The conversation covers credit card industry profits, inflation comparisons across administrations, rising foreclosures, and the odds of bipartisan action.

  • Warren said President Trump called her after a partisan speech; the White House called the conversation productive.
  • Trump raised a credit card interest rate cap; Warren says she is ready to legislate and highlights roughly $150 billion in industry profits, a potential hit to card issuers if enacted.
  • Warren urged Trump to help move a housing bill with 40 supply-boosting provisions that passed the Senate unanimously and is stalled in the House.
  • She blamed Trump tariff, energy, and health care policies for rising grocery, utility, housing, and medical costs, and cited a 21% increase in mortgage foreclosures.
  • Hosts countered that inflation is 2.7% now versus a 9% peak and 22% cumulative rise under Biden, with prices still rising toward the Fed's 2% target.
  • A host-cited Wharton study said a 10% cap could make many card customers unprofitable and shrink credit availability; Warren pointed to lower-rate community bank and credit union cards.
  • The interview ended with light banter about the presidential phone call and saving the number.
Ideas
Elizabeth Warren US Senator 2:35
Credit card rate cap threatens issuer profits
Warren says President Trump called her and raised working together on a cap on credit card interest rates, an issue she has pushed for years, and she agreed they should get something done, noting he had not previously acted on it. She argues credit card companies earned roughly $150 billion in profits last year off American families and that a chunk of those profits should go back to households, implying a rate cap would directly squeeze card issuers' lending economics; she dismisses industry warnings that caps would end credit cards, pointing to community banks and credit unions already lending at much lower rates. With a 10% cap under discussion and stated White House interest, this is a live regulatory setup for credit card lenders to monitor.
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This CNBC video, published January 14, 2026, features Elizabeth Warren discussing Credit card issuers. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Elizabeth Warren  · Tickers: Credit card issuers