Overview
- Christopher Waller said he would “absolutely” defend the Federal Reserve’s independence and argued direct president–chair contact should be rare, pointing to regular Treasury–Fed meetings as the proper channel.
- Waller was set to meet President Trump on Wednesday in the chair search and has supported recent 25‑basis‑point cuts while saying policy is only 50–100 basis points above neutral.
- President Trump said the next chair must favor much lower interest rates “by a lot” and still plans to name a nominee in January.
- Prediction markets shifted toward Kevin Hassett this week, with Kalshi and Polymarket showing roughly 53–54% odds for him versus about 23–36% for Kevin Warsh depending on the snapshot.
- Wall Street voices pressed for preserving central bank distance from the White House, with Citadel’s Ken Griffin urging a pick that reassures markets on inflation management and credibility.