By Anthony Marcus, correspondent for Eurasia Business News, on January 28, 2026. Article n°2016

Donald Trump’s shortlist for the next Federal Reserve chair appears to center on four main names: Rick Rieder, Kevin Hassett, Christopher Waller, and Kevin Warsh.

The leading names

Rick Rieder (BlackRock): Seen as a frontrunner in betting and prediction markets, with decades of fixed‑income and markets experience that could reassure Wall Street.

Kevin Hassett: Head of the National Economic Council, long viewed as a top contender, but Trump has also signaled he may want to keep him at the White House, which complicates his prospects.

Christopher Waller: Current Fed governor originally appointed by Trump, offering continuity and existing central‑bank experience, but some doubt he would be as aggressive on rate cuts as Trump wants.

Kevin Warsh: Former Fed governor with prior consideration for Fed leadership; brings policy experience but is not known as strongly dovish on rates or aligned with Trump’s populist base.

What Trump seems to be looking for

President Trump wants someone clearly more supportive of lower interest rates than Jerome Powell, but still “credible” enough with markets and the Senate to actually get confirmed and influence policy.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is managing the search and has indicated Trump is balancing political loyalty, market credibility, and confirmability in the Senate, which is why no single candidate perfectly fits his wish list.

Who is most likely

Recent reporting and prediction markets suggest Rick Rieder has “vaulted” into the leading spot, edging ahead of Hassett and the others as of late January 2026.

Nonetheless, Trump has hinted he is “down to maybe one” in his own mind without naming that person, so any of these four could plausibly be chosen until he formally announces a nominee.

Advertisements

Our community already has nearly 205,000 readers!

Subscribe to our Telegram channel

Follow us on Telegram, Facebook and Twitter

© Copyright 2026 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 2016