When asked directly by The Wall Street Journal whether Kevin Warsh, a former member of the Federal Reserve (Fed), is Trump's top candidate to become the new Fed chairman when Jerome Powell's term expires in May, the president replied:
Yes, I would say he is.
Something that may speak in Warsh's favor in Trump's eyes is that both want to lower the policy rate further.
But the chances for Kevin Hassett, the White House economic adviser who was previously considered the favorite for the job, do not appear to be completely over.
"You could say we have Kevin and Kevin. In my opinion, there are two Kevins who are really good," Trump said, adding that "there are several other people who are really good."
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously said that he believes there is "a very good chance" that Trump will make "an announcement before Christmas" about who will be the new Fed chief.
Jerome Powell has been under intense pressure from Donald Trump, who has been adamant about more rate cuts. Trump has accused Powell on numerous occasions of being far too slow.
And in the interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump reiterates that the Fed chief should consult the president on interest rate decisions.
