Overview
- Senior officials say the finalists are Christopher Waller, Kevin Hassett, Kevin Warsh and Rick Rieder, with Michelle Bowman no longer under consideration.
- Officials described Waller’s meeting in the president’s residence as a strong interview focused on the labor market, attended by Scott Bessent, Susie Wiles and Dan Scavino.
- Rick Rieder is slated to interview at Mar-a-Lago in the last week of December, and Trump has said he will announce a nominee shortly after the holidays.
- Trump has signaled he wants a chair who favors much lower rates and says the chair should consult with him on policy, though aides stress the interviews cover broader economic issues.
- Prediction markets currently lean toward Hassett as the favorite, with Warsh next and Waller a longer shot, while some analysts warn a pick seen as politically aligned could raise Fed-independence concerns.