U.S. Fed chair candidate Hassett: "Trump's remarks will not affect monetary policy"

Kevin Hassett, who is being mentioned as a candidate for the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed), emphasized the Fed's independence while dismissing concerns about the expansion of President Donald Trump's influence.

On the 15th (local time), according to Cointelegraph, Hassett appeared on the CBS News current affairs program 'Face the Nation' and said, "President Trump's views will not have a substantive influence on Fed policy," adding, "the role of the Fed is to maintain independence, and the final decision-making authority rests with the 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)."

He explained that the president's opinions could be taken into account if deemed valid based on data, but if the members do not agree, they would vote in a different direction.

Earlier, President Trump recently identified former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and Hassett as leading candidates among four people being interviewed for the next Fed chair. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 13th, when asked, "Is Warsh the top candidate?", President Trump replied, "I think so," and said, "Both Kevins are excellent."

Prediction markets have shown a somewhat weakened chance of Hassett winning. Earlier this month on Kalshi and Polymarket, the probability of Hassett's nomination as the next Fed chair had surged to 85%, but fell after President Trump's recent remarks. Currently, by Kalshi's measure Hassett remains in the lead at 50%, with Warsh following at 39%.

However, in the WSJ interview President Trump said, "The next Fed chair should consult with the president on interest rate decisions," stoking controversy. He argued, "It was commonly done in the past and should be that way again," and said, "They don't have to follow my word exactly, but I'm a smart voice and should be listened to."