Fed chair interviews cancelled as US President homes in on pick

The Trump administration canceled a slate of interviews set to start this week with a group of finalists to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve as President Trump again suggested he had made up his mind about who should lead the central bank.

- Brian Schwartz & Nick Timiraos

Trump has signaled publicly that longtime adviser Kevin Hassett is a leading contender to head the central bank.

(REUTERS)

Trump's team informed candidates that interviews scheduled for Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance had been canceled, according to people familiar with the matter. No reason was given for the decision. A person familiar with the matter said the cancellation was because of a scheduling conflict for the vice president. The person said it wasn’t clear if the meetings would be rescheduled.

Longtime Trump economic adviser Kevin Hassett, considered the front-runner, was among those expected to meet with Vance and White House officials about the job, a person close to him said. Other finalists for the job include former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and sitting Fed governor Christopher Waller.

A Vance spokesman didn't respond to a request for comment. “The truth is nobody knows who President Trump's next pick for the Fed Chair will be until he makes the announcement himself. Everything until then is pure speculation,” the White House said in a statement.