Trump says Warsh should have ‘no trouble’ getting through confirmation process

President Trump said Saturday that he expects his pick for Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, to easily make it through the Senate confirmation process.


“He’s very high-quality person. He should have no trouble getting through,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, suggesting Warsh could pick up some Democratic support.



“I think he might get Democrat votes. He’s so good that he’ll probably get Democrat votes. He should. He’s very good. My choice. My Fed choice. He should get Democrat votes,” he added.


Trump announced a day earlier that he was nominating Warsh, a former Federal Reserve board member, to replace Jerome Powell as chairman of the central bank once his term ends in May.


The president told reporters that he hoped Warsh would lower interest rates but that he had not received any kind of commitment.


“I hope he’s going to lower them. I mean, if you watch him on television, you know, because I watch interviews and statements, I hope he’s going to lower them. But, you know, he’s going to have to do what he wants to do,” Trump said, echoing comments made the day before in the Oval Office.


“No, no commitments. I don’t want to do that. I could do that, I guess, if I wanted. But I didn’t do it,” he continued after another reporter pressed.


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It remains unclear whether Warsh will have enough support to be confirmed as the Trump administration’s criminal probe into the Fed and threats to weaken its independence have drawn the ire of Democrats.



Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) has also vowed to oppose all of the president’s Fed nominees until the Justice Department stops its investigation into Powell.


“My position has not changed: I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved,” Tillis, who is not seeking re-election, wrote on social media Friday morning. 


Trump indicated that he is willing to wait on the confirmation until Tillis is out of office.


“I mean, he’s leaving the Senate for a reason because what he asked for didn’t get done, so it’s one of those things,” Trump said.