Trump Suggests New Hesitance Over Hassett For Fed Chair

President Donald Trump on Friday signaled hesitance about tapping his top economic adviser Kevin Hassett as Federal Reserve chair, shaking up the the contest over who will lead the central bank.

At a White House event, Trump called the idea of losing Hassett "a serious concern" while applauding the National Economic Council director's latest appearance on television. Hassett, who is widely viewed as the front-runner to succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell, has been a ubiquitous champion for the administration's economic vision on TV over the last year.

"I see Kevin's in the audience and I just want to thank you you were fantastic on television today. I actually want to keep you where you are if you want to know the truth," Trump said. "I'm saying, wait a minute, if I move him, these Fed guys, certainly the one we have now, they don't talk much. I would lose you. It's a serious concern to me."

Trump's comments come as GOP lawmakers voice growing concern about the Fed's independence following the Justice Department's move to investigate Powell. Some Republicans like Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina have specifically pointed to concerns about Hassett's ties to the White House. Tillis said earlier this week that he would not vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the probe into Powell's remarks about an ongoing renovation at the Fed headquarters was resolved.

Hassett is the only finalist for Fed chair to have weighed in on the investigation, saying on Monday he "would expect that the markets would be happy to see that there's more transparency at the Fed."