US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that one or two more interviews will be held this week for the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, and President Donald Trump may announce the nominees in early January next year. “Follow the President's footsteps,” Bessent said on Fox Business Channel on Tuesday. “He has always been very, very cautious,” and “was also very straightforward when asking candidates about the Fed's policy, structure, future direction, and economy during interviews.” Bessent said he speculates that the appointment results will be announced “in early January,” without clearly stating who will be interviewed this week. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that Trump is expected to interview Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller as chairman of the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. “President Trump has always been committed to nominating the best and most qualified candidates to reverse the economic disaster caused by Biden,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. “But until President Trump announced it, any reports about the Federal Reserve chairman nomination process were just pointless speculations.” Earlier on Tuesday, Basent praised the two candidates — National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Walsh — for “very, very good qualifications.” According to the “Wall Street Journal” report, in an interview with the newspaper last Friday, Trump said these two were his top candidates. Bezent refuted the idea that if Hassett succeeds Jerome Powell as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve, he will not have the ability to make decisions independently and should therefore be disqualified.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that one or two more interviews will be held this week for the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, and President Donald Trump may announce the nominees in early January next year. “Follow the President's footsteps,” Bessent said on Fox Business Channel on Tuesday. “He has always been very, very cautious,” and “was also very straightforward when asking candidates about the Fed's policy, structure, future direction, and economy during interviews.” Bessent said he speculates that the appointment results will be announced “in early January,” without clearly stating who will be interviewed this week. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, that Trump is expected to interview Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller as chairman of the Federal Reserve on Wednesday. “President Trump has always been committed to nominating the best and most qualified candidates to reverse the economic disaster caused by Biden,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. “But until President Trump announced it, any reports about the Federal Reserve chairman nomination process were just pointless speculations.” Earlier on Tuesday, Basent praised the two candidates — National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Walsh — for “very, very good qualifications.” According to the “Wall Street Journal” report, in an interview with the newspaper last Friday, Trump said these two were his top candidates. Bezent refuted the idea that if Hassett succeeds Jerome Powell as the new chairman of the Federal Reserve, he will not have the ability to make decisions independently and should therefore be disqualified.