CNBC: Hassett's Appointment as Federal Reserve Chairman Was Interfered With by Trump's Inner Circle

BlockBeats News, December 15, according to CNBC citing sources, Kevin Hassett, once considered a "quasi-candidate" for Federal Reserve Chair by the market, has recently faced doubts from senior figures who can directly influence former President Trump’s decisions.

The point of contention is: Hassett was initially seen as the strongest candidate to succeed current Chair Powell due to his close relationship with Trump, but now concerns are being raised for the same reason—being "too close to the president." This pressure may explain why the candidate interviews were rescheduled after being canceled in early December (at least for Warsh, the interview was completed last week).

Trump previously told reporters that he had decided on a candidate for Federal Reserve Chair, but in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday, he stated that former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh and Hassett had both become the final candidates, which surprised the market. On the Kalshi prediction market, Hassett’s probability of being selected dropped accordingly.

"Both Kevins are excellent," Trump said.

As of Monday, Hassett still led on the Kalshi platform with a 51% probability, but this was a sharp decline from over 80% earlier this month; Warsh’s probability rose from about 11% in early December to 44%. The current resistance is more about boosting Warsh rather than criticizing Hassett. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon praised both candidates at an event on Thursday, but some of his remarks led the audience to believe he favored Warsh, the former Federal Reserve Governor.