"Trump to Begin Interviews for Next Fed Chair Candidates Starting December 10"

by Lee Seunghyeong

Published 10 Dec.2025 10:11(KST)

Trump: "I Know Who I Want"

The Financial Times (FT) reported on December 9 (local time) that President Donald Trump of the United States is set to begin interviews with candidates for the next Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair.

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

According to the FT, President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are scheduled to interview former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh on December 10, and at least one more candidate interview is planned for next week. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles may also attend the interviews. The FT reported that Secretary Bessent has presented the White House with a shortlist of four candidates, including Kevin Hassett, Chairman of the White House National Economic Council (NEC), and former Governor Warsh. The list was narrowed down from an initial pool of 11 candidates, which included Fed Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, as well as Rick Rieder, Chief Investment Officer (CIO) for Fixed Income at BlackRock.

President Trump is expected to nominate a candidate for the next Fed Chair soon. Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump said, "We are going to see a couple of different people, but I have a pretty good idea of who I want." Recent developments suggest that Chairman Hassett is a leading contender, and on December 2, President Trump even referred to Hassett as a "potential Fed Chair" during a White House event.

The term of the current Chair, Jerome Powell, who took office in February 2018, will expire in May 2026. However, Powell's term as a Fed Governor is set to end in January 2028, and he has not yet decided whether he will step down from the Board when his term as Chair concludes.

On Wall Street, concerns have been raised that Chairman Hassett, who is seen as being especially close to President Trump, may push for aggressive interest rate cuts. At the 'Wall Street Journal CEO Council' event on this day, Hassett said there is "plenty of room" for additional rate cuts.