Who Is Kevin Warsh, Future Federal Reserve Chair?

Donald Trump is preparing to nominate Kevin Warsh, son-in-law of Ronald Lauder and former steering committee member of the Bilderberg Group, to be the next Federal Reserve chair. He’s structurally sound, supports Crypto, and wants to clean up the Fed.

The New Republic:

Initially, there were two candidates on Trump’s short list: Cantor Fitzgerald chief executive Howard Lutnick and Key Square Capital Management founder Scott Bessent. Rather than choose between them, Trump added two more: Apollo Global Management founder Marc Rowan and former Morgan Stanley financier and Fed governor Kevin Warsh. Then, Trump reduced the pool to three by naming Lutnick (who reportedly was getting on Trump’s nerves) to run the Commerce Department instead.

None of these people is a blunt instrument. They are oligarchs in good standing, respectable members of the financial establishment.

President Trump told the Wall Street Journal that Warsh largely agrees with his views on monetary policy. “He thinks you have to lower interest rates,” Trump said. “And so does everybody else that I’ve talked to.”

The left, like Matt O’Brien, doesn’t like him:

Back in 2017, I explained what a disastrous pick Kevin Warsh would be as Fed Chair.

He was perhaps the worst & most wrong Fed Governor we’ve ever had when he was there during the financial crisis, & learned nothing from it either.

Somehow, Warsh returned. pic.twitter.com/jqrcOybeN0

— Matt O’Brien (@ObsoleteDogma) January 30, 2026

Steve Bannon: It’s Regime Change Time

Steve Bannon pointed to what he calls a “regime change” brewing at the Federal Reserve. He praised Kevin Warsh, a contender for Fed Chair, and Russ Vought for pushing back against billions in spending to renovate the central bank’s headquarters. “This is about cleaning house,” Bannon said, framing the Fed, CIA, and CENTCOM as the three pillars of unchecked power in Washington.

Bannon referenced ongoing fights within the government over spending and institutional reform, particularly at the Federal Reserve. “Kevin Warsh… probably the steadiest of the steady Eddies… he’s talking about regime change at the Federal Reserve,” Bannon explained. “Not just replacing the chairman, but clearing out the entire building.

MSN:

On January 29–30, 2026, sources familiar with internal White House discussions confirmed that Warsh’s candidacy gained significant momentum following a private meeting with President Trump at the White House, during which Warsh impressed senior officials with his views on monetary policy and economic strategy.

He played a key role during the 2008 financial crisis as the central bank’s liaison to Wall Street. After leaving the Fed, Warsh transitioned into academia and economic research, holding positions as a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and advising public and private organizations on economic and monetary matters.

Beyond his academic credentials, Warsh has been a prominent voice in debates over central bank policy, arguing for a “regime change” in how the Fed approaches monetary strategy and expressing scepticism about long-term reliance on expansive balance sheets or traditional inflation targeting. In commentary and writings, he has stressed the potential of productivity-boosting technologies like artificial intelligence to reshape economic growth, a stance that resonates with business leaders concerned about future competitiveness.

He likes Crypto:

Here’s the rumored next fed chairman Kevin Warsh on Bitcoin.

Not sure why all of X is calling him bad. He’s also structurally hawkish, and that’s good for the economy and markets.

Well spoken.

You morons actually think this admin would put an anti-Bitcoin guy in this position? pic.twitter.com/mXOvqKk3vs

— Peter B (@realpeteyb123) January 30, 2026

Warsh is excellent (pro-crypto) pick for Treasury.

He’s been one of our most helpful, hands-on advisors at @ElectricCapital

He’s an investor in crypto, fintech, and AI companies. He gets macro from his time at the Fed.

Few people as qualified as Kevin for this job. pic.twitter.com/7vuFAHwMth

— Avichal – Electric ϟ Capital (@avichal) November 19, 2024

Skeptical of Quantitative Easing

Critics have argued that Warsh was a poor fit for the Fed’s post-crisis direction, describing him as overly sympathetic to Wall Street interests, skeptical of aggressive monetary stimulus, and resistant to expansive regulatory oversight. Some economists have also faulted his early opposition to quantitative easing and his later criticism of the Fed’s balance-sheet expansion, saying these stances underestimated systemic risk and the need for intervention during economic shocks.

Trump has repeatedly called for changes to Fed policy, including dramatically lower interest rates, and has publicly rebuked Powell for what he sees as insufficient monetary easing, even resorting to personal attacks on social platforms. Warsh’s nuanced stance, advocating both strategic rate considerations and structural reforms, may appeal to Trump’s desire for a Fed chair who aligns more closely with political priorities while still possessing deep institutional credibility.