United States President Donald Trump has narrowed down his choices for the position of Federal Reserve Chair to two candidates — former Fed governor Kevin Warsh or National Economic Council Director Kevin Hasset, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Amid much speculation, Donald Trump confirmed his choices while speaking to the publication on 12 December. “Yes, I think he (Warsh) is. He thinks you have to lower interest rates. And so does everybody else that I’ve talked to. I think you have Kevin and Kevin. They’re both—I think the two Kevins are great. I think there are a couple of other people that are great,” he stated.
Who is Kevin Hasset?
A Ph.D. in economics, Kevin Hasset is the rumour mills’ top contender as he has worked for Donald Trump the longest and will likely serve the interest rate cuts that the US president wants, as per reports.
Notably, Hassett was a senior economic adviser to Donald Trump between 2017 to 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned to the role briefly in 2020. He was appointed as head of the National Economic Council in January.
Who is Keven Warsh?
The report added that Kevin Warsh is an economic advisor to the George W Bush administration. He has previously worked on Wall Street and served as a Fed governor between 2006 to 2011.
As per an AP report, when he was appointed to the Fed’s governing board in 2006 Warsh at age 35, become the youngest Fed governor in history. He is now a fellow at the Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Notably, he also made the top two in 2017, when Donald Trump ultimately picked Jerome Powell, the WSJ report added.
Are ‘Kevin and Kevin’ front-runners to take over from Jerome Powell?
The report added that Kevin Hasset has been increasingly speculated as the “front-runner”, but Donald Trump’s comment now brings Kevin Warsh into the likely top two. The report cited sources saying that Donald Trump had a 45-minute meeting with Warsh on 10 December, and “pressed” him his views on interest rate cuts.
Speaking to the paper, the US president added that the next Fed chief should consult with him on rates. “Typically, that’s not done anymore. It used to be done routinely. It should be done. It doesn’t mean—I don’t think he should do exactly what we say. But certainly we’re—I’m a smart voice and should be listened to,” he told WSJ.
Donald Trump also expressed disappointment in his appointment of incumbent Jerome Powell. “I think I have somebody that I like the best. I like all of them, but I want to be careful because I was given a bad recommendation,” he said. WSJ noted that then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was the one who recommended Powell in 2017.
As per the report, besides grilling Warsh, Donald Trump is also holding a final round of interviews with other top contenders including Hassett. Further, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has also interviewed two current Fed governors appointed by Trump in his first term, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, as potential candidates.