United States President Donald Trump’s nominee to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Warsh, faced senators, and there was no subtlety. When directly asked if he believes his nomination was directly linked to Trump’s “obsession” with lower rates, the answer was no surprise: he dodged that question – and many others – like a champion.
An educated guess would suggest that US President Trump chose Warsh because of his criticism of current Chair Jerome Powell.
Inflation is a choice, and the Fed’s track record under Chairman Jerome Powell is one of unwise choices,” Warsh stated in an essay titled “The Federal Reserve’s Broken Leadership,” published last November. “Americans would have higher pay and greater purchasing power if the Fed got its act together,” Warsh added. Not bad for a Trump-ish start.
He also put the focus on the massive Fed balance sheet, now running at around $6.7 trillion. Warsh believes the Fed has injected unnecessary liquidity into the economy, pumping up the stock market and boosting deficit spending, while crowding out private investment. Warsh wants to reduce it significantly, that’s out of question.
But Warsh also pushed against the Fed’s narrative of “transitory” inflationary pressures in 2021. “Jerome Powell’s Fed believes the party is just getting started and won’t remove the punch bowl until the fun is in full swing and the neighbors know it,” he noted back then.
Indeed, Warsh has not saved any criticism of Powell, and that was one major factor tipping the scale in his favor.
But don’t be fooled. Warsh is not getting the chair position just because of his criticism of Powell’s actions. He has an extensive background that supports the nomination, including acting as Fed Governor between 2006 and 2011, when the mortgage crisis hit the global economy.
He is also a tech-geek, with strong ties to Silicon Valley monsters, and if confirmed, he will be the wealthiest chair ever. Warsh is also an advocate of the free market, having an anti-regulatory view of the world
Warsh's prepared statement before the Senate Committee gave some discrete hints on where he is heading. Warsh defended the Fed’s independence, but also noted he doesn’t believe that dynamic is endangered when the central bank’s actions are questioned by elected leaders.
It’s well known that Fed chairs over the last few decades have respected continuity. His criticism of Powell and focus on reducing the balance sheet already suggest continuity won’t be as strong as it had been in the past.
President Trump also demands lower rates and even told CNBC on Tuesday that he will be disappointed if Warsh doesn’t cut interest rates “right away” after being confirmed as the next Fed chair. When asked whether he is here to work for the people or for Trump, Warsh said that “all presidents” tend to favor lower interest rates, and that the Fed’s independence is up to the Fed. He also dismissed inflationary pressures related to tariffs, adding that his broad sense is that inflation risk has improved somewhat.
Looking further ahead, the weekly chart for DXY offers a neutral stance. The index seesaws around a directionless 20-week SMA while technical indicators are stuck around their midlines for a second consecutive week, reflecting the lack of directional conviction.
A slide below the aforementioned April low exposes the multi-month bottom set last January at 95.56. A recovery beyond 99, on the other hand, exposes the 99.30 region, while steady gains beyond the latter could signal an extension towards the March peak at 100.54