WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who was asked Friday if he would resign if President Donald Trump asked him to do so, responded with a short “no.”

While Trump has sent out a number of tweets criticizing Powell, the fed chairman said he has not received any direct pressure from the White House.

Appearing on a panel with his two predecessors, Janet Yellen and Ben Bernanke, Powell also said he is prepared to be patient in deciding when to raise interest rates again.

Both of those messages cheered up stock market investors worried about the Fed’s march to higher rates as well as Trump’s repeated attacks on his hand-picked choice to lead the nation’s central bank.

“There is no pre-set path for policy,” Powell said during an appearance at a conference of economists in Atlanta. “With the muted inflation readings we have seen coming in, we will be patient as we watch to see how the economy evolves.”

Private economists viewed Powell’s comments as a signal that the Fed, which in December hiked a key rate for a fourth time in 2018 and projected another two hikes in 2019, may end up pausing hikes for several months.

Wall Street, which opened higher after the report of 312,000 jobs gained in December, surged higher during Powell’s appearance.