❓WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced he has narrowed his list of potential Federal Reserve chair candidates to four, including Kevin Hassett and Kevin Warsh, as he considers a replacement for Jerome Powell.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald Trump, Kevin Hassett, Kevin Warsh, Jerome Powell, and Adriana Kugler.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made during an interview on Tuesday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins, are very good,” said Trump during the interview.
🎯IMPACT: Trump’s decision could reshape the Federal Reserve leadership and influence U.S. monetary policy for years to come.
President Donald J. Trump revealed on Tuesday that he has narrowed his list of candidates for Federal Reserve chair to four individuals. During a media appearance, Trump named Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve Board governor, as two of his top picks. He declined to name the other two candidates but confirmed that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is not among them.
“I think Kevin and Kevin, both Kevins, are very good,” Trump said during the interview. While expressing his dissatisfaction with current Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Trump noted that he has not yet decided on a replacement but plans to make a decision “soon.” Powell, whose term ends in May 2026, has been a frequent target of Trump’s criticism, particularly over interest rate policies.
Trump has accused Powell of mismanaging a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Fed, but stated he is “highly unlikely” to fire him. The potential shift in leadership comes as Adriana Kugler, a current Fed governor, recently announced her resignation, creating an additional vacancy on the board.
Kevin Hassett, one of the named candidates, has a history of supporting Trump’s economic policies, including tax cuts and tariffs. He previously served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the first Trump administration.
Meanwhile, Kevin Warsh, another candidate, has been critical of Powell’s Federal Reserve and has advocated for significant changes to its operations. In a previous interview, Warsh stated, “The president’s right to be frustrated with Jay Powell and the Federal Reserve.” Warsh has also suggested a new Treasury-Fed accord, similar to one implemented in 1951, to address the nation’s debt and improve coordination between monetary and fiscal policies.
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