{"id":2523214,"date":"2025-12-19T09:35:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T14:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-three-front-runners-for-trumps-fed-chair-pick-what-to-know\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T09:38:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T14:38:11","slug":"the-three-front-runners-for-trumps-fed-chair-pick-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-three-front-runners-for-trumps-fed-chair-pick-what-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"The three front-runners for Trump&#8217;s Fed chair pick: What to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-three-front-runners-for-trumps-fed-chair-pick-what-to-know%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2523214&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the three leading candidates for President Donald Trump&#8217;s upcoming nomination for Federal Reserve chair, whose current chair Jerome Powell&#8217;s term expires in May 2026. The decision is critical as the new chair will face challenges such as inflation and a slowing labor market.<\/p>\n<p>The top contenders are:<\/p>\n<p>1. **Kevin Hassett** &#8211; A 63-year-old economist and current National Economic Council director with prior experience as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under Trump. Known for advocating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-to-stop-inflation-from-hurting-americas-working-and-middle-class\/\" title=\"How To Stop ... From Hurting America\u2019s Working And Middle Class\">lower interest rates<\/a> and supportive of Trump&#8217;s economic policies, Hassett believes that an artificial intelligence boom could <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >justify rapid interest rate cuts<\/a>. However, some worry he may prioritize the governance&#8217;s agenda over the Fed&#8217;s conventional independence.<\/p>\n<p>2. **Kevin Warsh** &#8211; A 55-year-old former Fed Board governor who served during the Great Recession. warsh is considered more hawkish on inflation and has been critical of post-crisis Fed policies like quantitative easing. Although experienced,he has been out of policymaking for over a decade.<\/p>\n<p>3. **Christopher Waller** &#8211; A 66-year-old current Fed Board member since 2020, with deep knowledge of recent monetary policy. Waller predicted that inflation could fall without causing high unemployment and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-trump-fed-candidates-have-said-about-interest-rate-cuts\/\" title=\"What ... Fed candidates have said about interest rate cuts\">supports lowering interest rates<\/a>. He is seen as a market-friendly choice.<\/p>\n<p>Prediction markets currently favor Hassett,but Warsh and waller remain serious candidates. The new Fed chair will influence U.S. monetary policy amid ongoing economic uncertainty.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">The three front-runners for Trump&rsquo;s Fed chair pick: What to know<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2415603\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\">Donald Trump<\/a> is planning to announce his choice for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-reserve\/\">Federal Reserve<\/a> chair after the holidays. Here is a look at the three people most discussed as potential picks.<\/p>\n<p>Fed Chairman <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jerome-powell\">Jerome Powell&rsquo;s<\/a> term is set to expire in May 2026, and whoever Trump chooses to replace him will become one of the most important decision-makers on Earth, inheriting an economy that is still grappling with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/inflation\/\">inflation<\/a> and a slowing labor market.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3924496\/january-social-security-direct-payment-worth-994-12-days\/\">January Social Security direct payment worth $994 goes out in 12 days<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3927050\/thune-trump-endorsement-power-protect-senate-majority\/\">Thune banks on Trump endorsement power to protect Senate majority&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3927298\/verdict-reached-judge-accused-helping-illegal-immigrant-evade-authorities\/\">Jury reaches verdict in case of judge accused of helping illegal immigrant evade authorities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/3918701\/economy-64000-jobs-november-facts-figures\/\">ECONOMY ADDED 64,000 JOBS IN NOVEMBER: THE KEY FACTS AND FIGURES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Just a week ago, National Economic Council Director <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kevin-hassett\/\">Kevin Hassett <\/a>was seen as the runaway choice, and Trump even said he had narrowed the search down to one person. But now, there are reports that former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and current Fed governor Christopher Waller are also in the running.<\/p>\n<p>Investors are getting in on the action. As of Thursday, prediction market Kalshi pegged the odds of Trump picking Hassett at just over 50%, Warsh at 31%, and Waller as a dark horse candidate at 14%.<\/p>\n<p>But who are they, what is their experience, and what are their views?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-kevin-hassett\">1. Kevin Hassett<\/h2>\n<p>Hassett, 63, is an economist who has served as director of the National Economic Council in the second <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/massachusetts\/\">Massachusetts<\/a> native, Hassett did undergraduate studies at Swarthmore College and then earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, the same college that Trump attended.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, answers questions from the media at the White House, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo\/John McDonnell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Hassett&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aei.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Kevin_Hassett_CV.pdf\">was<\/a>&nbsp;a professor at Columbia University in the early 1990s before working as an economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Hassett was the chief economist for the 2000 presidential campaign of Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-mccain\/\">John McCain<\/a> and was an economic adviser on the campaigns of then-President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-w-bush\/\">George W. Bush<\/a> in 2004 and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Hassett served as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2017 until 2019 and then as a senior adviser to the president on economic issues for a few months in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>In Trump 2.0, Hassett has been a fixture on TV, defending the administration&rsquo;s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/economy\/\">economic policies<\/a>. He has advocated lower <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/interest-rates\/\">interest rates<\/a>, something that Trump himself has pushed hard for and has said is a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/trump-says-rate-cut-litmus-121123606.html\">litmus test<\/a> for the next chair.<\/p>\n<p>Hassett has said an <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/artificial-intelligence\/\">artificial intelligence<\/a> boom could afford the central bank the opportunity to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3912641\/hassett-cites-ai-boom-justification-fed-slash-interest-rates\/\">lower its interest rate target rapidly<\/a>. He has argued that a positive supply shock from the AI boom could be a reason to lower interest rates.<\/p>\n<p>Of the three men, some think that Hassett would be most willing to do the president&rsquo;s bidding when it comes to interest rates. That could concern financial markets, given how the Fed is designed to be insulated from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/news\/white-house\/\">White House<\/a> influence.<\/p>\n<p>Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, said financial markets are likely to be most hesitant with a Hassett choice &ldquo;because of his tendency to parrot administration talking points.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that that concern is legitimate,&rdquo; Hamrick told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;Would he actually be consistent with the tradition of independence in that role? Certainly, that would be the hope, but there are risks.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, the Fed chairman is only one person and cannot unilaterally set interest rates. He would need the buy-in of others.<\/p>\n<p>Decisions about monetary policy are up to a 12-person board called the Federal Open Market Committee, which consists of the Fed Board of Governors and a rotation of regional Fed presidents. The FOMC collectively decides on the course of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-fed-nominee-has-history-of-black-lives-matter-bullying-support-for-reparations\/\" title=\"Biden Fed Nominee Has History of Black Lives Matter Bullying, Support for Reparations\">interest rate policy<\/a>. However, the Fed chairman can help set the tone and messaging of the central bank.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-kevin-warsh\">Kevin Warsh<\/h2>\n<p>Warsh, 55, has experience at the Fed, but is a bit of an outsider in the sense that he hasn&rsquo;t been a public policymaker for over a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he served on the Fed Board of Governors throughout the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/great-recession\/\">Great Recession<\/a> and has been a prominent name in the world of <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/section\/policy\/finance\/\">finance<\/a> and economics for quite some time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kevin Warsh (AP Photo\/Alastair Grant, Pool, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Bush nominated him to the Fed board in 2006, and he served in the role under both Bush and Obama. A big chunk of his time at the Fed overlapped the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2008-financial-crisis\/\">2008 financial crisis<\/a> and Great Recession. After leaving the central bank, Warsh worked as a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University&rsquo;s Hoover Institution.<\/p>\n<p>Warsh has faced some criticism for his handling of the 2008 financial crisis and its fallout. At that time, the Fed took extraordinary actions to intervene in the economy and to prop up the markets. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/unemployment\/\">Unemployment<\/a> was spiraling, and then-Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke spearheaded looser money policies that Warsh at the time panned as being possibly inflationary.<\/p>\n<p>Warsh appeared overly fixated on inflation during a time when unemployment was rising and the economy was collapsing. Some argue that if he had his way, unemployment would have gotten even worse than it did.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;On the inflation front, I continue to be encouraged by the strength in the exchange value of the dollar and the work that is doing for us on import price inflation,&rdquo; he <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.federalreserve.gov\/monetarypolicy\/files\/FOMC20080916meeting.pdf\">said<\/a> in September 2008. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m encouraged by the move down across a breadth of commodities &mdash; not just energy, metals, and food but really across the entire basket &mdash; but I&rsquo;m still not ready to relinquish my concerns on the inflation front.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Hamrick pointed out that he hasn&rsquo;t been in a policymaking role in over a decade.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was a critic of the post-crisis quantitative easing,&rdquo; Hamrick said. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s regarded as a little more hawkish on inflation and probably stricter on the standpoint of price stability and fiscal discipline.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-christopher-waller\">Christopher Waller<\/h2>\n<p>Waller, 66, is currently on the Fed board, which gives him the most intimate insight into how monetary policy has been conducted in recent years and the Fed board&rsquo;s thinking regarding inflation and interest rates.<\/p>\n<p>Waller joined the Fed board in 2020 after being nominated by Trump during the president&rsquo;s first term. Since then, he has been credited as one of the few top economists <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3759180\/christopher-waller-fed-official-predicted-inflation-could-fall-without-recession\/\">who correctly predicted<\/a> that the central bank could drive down inflation without causing a spike in unemployment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Christopher Waller poses for a photo on May 23, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo\/Patrick Semansky, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He is now also perhaps the most prominent Fed voice in favor of lowering interest rates &mdash; something that has surely ingratiated him with Trump.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Chris Waller has been as right as anyone in recent years,&rdquo; Jason Furman, the chairman of former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Barack Obama&rsquo;s<\/a> Council of Economic Advisers, recently told the&nbsp;<em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;He also makes a good case for substantial interest rate cuts, although I am more nervous about persistent inflation than he is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3925112\/inflation-dropped-november-report-delayed-shutdown\/\">INFLATION DROPPED TO 2.7% IN NOVEMBER, REPORT DELAYED BY SHUTDOWN SHOWS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Waller attended Bemidji State University for his undergraduate studies and later earned his doctorate from Washington State University. Prior to being sworn in as a member of the Fed board in 2020, Waller served as executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis since 2009, which he joined after being a professor at the University of Notre Dame.<\/p>\n<p>Hamrick said that Waller is probably the pick that would be most favorable to the markets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Top 3 candidates for Trump&#8217;s Fed chair pick explained<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3360,"featured_media":2523215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25352082787659.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[34557,32663,69101,3634],"class_list":["post-2523214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-fed-chair","tag-federal-reserve","tag-front-runners","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25352082787659.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3360"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2523214"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2523218,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2523214\/revisions\/2523218"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2523215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2523214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2523214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2523214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}