Trump selects Kevin M. Warsh as Federal Reserve chair nominee
President Trump selected Kevin M. Warsh on Jan. 30, 2026, to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Warsh will replace Jerome H. Powell when Mr. Powell's term as chair ends in May. Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social praising Mr. Warsh, saying "he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best.
On top of everything else, he is 'central casting' and will never let you down." Mr. Warsh, who served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011 and was a front-runner during Mr. Trump's first term, edged out contenders including Kevin A. Hassett, Christopher J. Waller and Rick Rieder; he will require Senate confirmation.
The selection comes amid sustained pressure from the administration for the Fed to lower interest rates while officials contend with a weakening labor market and persistent inflation. Mr. Trump prioritized a chair who would support significantly lower borrowing costs — a point of conflict with Mr.
Powell, who is the subject of a Justice Department criminal investigation related to renovations at the Fed's headquarters. Mr. Powell has accused the administration of leveraging legal threats as retaliation, and some Senate Republicans said they would block confirmations until the issue is resolved.
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