President Donald Trump is set to make a significant announcement on Friday morning, reportedly naming former Federal Reserve official Kevin Warsh as his choice to replace Jerome Powell as the chair of the central bank. According to multiple reports from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Bloomberg, Trump's decision has been informed by his advisers and is expected to be confirmed soon.
Warsh was considered a contender for the role eight years ago when Trump chose Powell, and it appears that this time around, he has emerged as the top choice. In a recent press conference, Trump said that Warsh could have been appointed earlier, indicating that he believes the former Fed official would have fit in well with his administration.
Warsh previously served on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011 and was one of the four main contenders for the role. However, after Trump's remarks about Warsh being a suitable candidate due to his experience eight years ago, betting markets shifted significantly in favor of him.
In late December, Kevin Hassett was seen as the front-runner to replace Powell, but with odds now plummeting to 1% on Polymarket and 29% on Kalshi, Warsh has taken the top spot. The betting markets are predicting that Trump's nominee will have a 94-95% chance of getting the nomination.
However, confirmation is unlikely to be straightforward, as Senate lawmakers like Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who sits on the Banking Committee, have expressed their opposition to any Fed nominees until the Justice Department resolves its probe into Powell and the central bank's renovation of its Washington building.
Warsh was considered a contender for the role eight years ago when Trump chose Powell, and it appears that this time around, he has emerged as the top choice. In a recent press conference, Trump said that Warsh could have been appointed earlier, indicating that he believes the former Fed official would have fit in well with his administration.
Warsh previously served on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors from 2006 to 2011 and was one of the four main contenders for the role. However, after Trump's remarks about Warsh being a suitable candidate due to his experience eight years ago, betting markets shifted significantly in favor of him.
In late December, Kevin Hassett was seen as the front-runner to replace Powell, but with odds now plummeting to 1% on Polymarket and 29% on Kalshi, Warsh has taken the top spot. The betting markets are predicting that Trump's nominee will have a 94-95% chance of getting the nomination.
However, confirmation is unlikely to be straightforward, as Senate lawmakers like Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who sits on the Banking Committee, have expressed their opposition to any Fed nominees until the Justice Department resolves its probe into Powell and the central bank's renovation of its Washington building.