Fed's Williams sees 2-3 rate hikes this year, backs Yellen - CNBC

Reuters
John C. Williams, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, speaks at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 2, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

(Reuters) - It is reasonable to expect the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates two or three times this year, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said on CNBC on Thursday, adding he fully supported the leadership of Fed Chair Janet Yellen.

In March, he said, Fed policymakers "said two or three rate hikes this year. I think that's a reasonable view."

Asked about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's comment earlier on Thursday that he would likely replace Yellen when her term expires in 2018, Williams said he is "100 percent in full support" of her leadership.

(Reporting by Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)