Fed chair candidate Waller says he will ‘absolutely’ stress importance of Fed’s independence to Trump
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Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller told CNBC on Wednesday that he will "absolutely" emphasize the importance of central bank independence to President Donald Trump.Waller is one of five finalists to potentially succeed Jerome Powell when the Federal Reserve chairman's term ends in May. He is scheduled to have an interview with Trump later Wednesday. "Absolutely," Waller said when asked by CNBC's Steve Liesman whether he would emphasize Fed independence during his interview with the president."I spent 20 years of my life working on central bank independence and why it was important," he said at the Yale CEO Summit. "I have a long paper trail on this." Trump regularly weighs in on Fed decisions, accusing the central bank of moving too slowly to lower interest rates. The president has been a harsh critic of Powell and has mused publicly about firing him before his term is up. This has raised fears among some investors that Trump will try to install a pliant ally as Fed chair after Powell leaves the central bank. Waller said the biweekly breakfast between the Fed chair and Treasury Secretary is the appropriate venue for communication between the White House and the central bank. Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you.Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inboxGet this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.© 2025 Versant Media, LLC.
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