Washington, (EFE).— U.S. President Donald Trump presided Friday over the swearing-in of his nominee Kevin Warsh as the new chair of the Federal Reserve at a packed White House ceremony, where he declared wanting the new central bank leader to be “totally independent.”
“Nobody in the United States is better prepared to lead the Federal Reserve than Kevin Warsh,” Trump said. Since returning to power in January 2025, Trump had publicly pressured outgoing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, demanding more aggressive interest rate cuts.
According to Trump, Warsh “will restore confidence in the Fed,” adding with “full certainty” that “just like the great Fed chairs who preceded him, Kevin will safeguard the integrity of the institution.”
“I want Kevin to be totally independent. I want him to be independent and simply do a great job. Not to look at me or anyone else — just do his thing and do a great job,” the president declared, amid Democratic criticism over the new Fed leader’s close ties to the Republican.
Trump also insisted that the remaining members of the Board of Governors — where Powell will remain until 2027 — “will make their own decisions,” though they “will listen to Kevin at all times.”
“I sincerely believe that, even if they profess a somewhat different ideological orientation, they will listen to him out of respect, because everyone respects him,” he said.
The ceremony was attended by Cabinet members, Republican Party figures, and business leaders. Trump also promised Warsh the “full backing of his Administration.”
The 56-year-old economist was sworn in before Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas — a “dear friend” of Warsh, as he described him in brief remarks after taking the oath, in which he pledged to work toward price stability and strong employment.
The scale of Friday’s event is highly unusual, as most incoming Fed chairs have been sworn in at low-key ceremonies at the central bank’s own headquarters. While there have been exceptions — Alan Greenspan took his oath in the East Room of the White House in 1987, with Ronald Reagan looking on — today’s ceremony underscores the significant political weight Trump has placed on Warsh’s appointment.
Warsh succeeds Powell, who stepped down last Friday after serving as chair since 2018 — a post he first reached after being nominated by Trump at the end of 2017. That relationship soured quickly, as Trump began pushing the Fed for greater monetary easing toward the end of his first term (2017–2021). After Trump’s return to power in January 2025, the campaign against the now-former chair grew even more aggressive, to the point that the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into Powell over alleged financial irregularities in the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters.
