Overview
- Scott Bessent named Christopher Waller, Michelle Bowman, Kevin Hassett, Kevin Warsh and Rick Rieder as the finalists to succeed Jerome Powell.
- Bessent said he will conduct a second round of interviews and present a short list to President Trump after Thanksgiving, with any nominee needing Senate confirmation.
- President Trump signaled he aims to choose a nominee by year-end and continued to criticize Powell over the pace of interest-rate cuts.
- Fed Governor Christopher Waller confirmed he was interviewed for the role and said he would serve if chosen.
- The announcement comes as markets expect the Federal Open Market Committee to cut rates by 25 basis points this week.