US President Donald Trump has narrowed down his list of candidates to replace Jerome Powell as the new Fed Chair.
Trump’s shortlist includes White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett, former Fed member Kevin Warsh and current Fed member Christopher Waller.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he was considering Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent but that he wasn’t interested in the job. Bessent, who was in the Oval Office, confirmed his lack of interest. Trump said, “I initially had four candidates, but now I’m talking to three. He (Bessent) told me, ‘I’m not going.’”
President Trump frequently criticizes Powell for acting “too late” to cut interest rates and blames the Fed for high mortgage rates. Under Powell’s leadership, the Fed has held interest rates steady this year, citing concerns that Trump’s tariffs could spark renewed inflation. However, Powell’s recent focus has been on the weakening labor market.
According to data from the US Department of Labor, job growth slowed sharply in August, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.3%, a nearly four-year high. Powell also said last month that downside risks in the labor market could prompt a rate cut. While analysts interpreted these remarks as a signal of a quarter-point cut in September, Trump wants much more aggressive cuts.
Among the candidates, Hassett is known as a staunch defender of Trump’s trade policies and shares his view that the Fed keeps interest rates unnecessarily high. Warsh has frequently called for “regime change” at the Fed. Waller, appointed by Trump in 2020 after leading the St. Louis Fed Research Department, stands out as a more committed figure to the institution.
Bessent, on the other hand, harshly criticized the FED, arguing that the institution needed a comprehensive review, from its staff and research activities to its monetary policy approach.
*This is not investment advice.