Christopher Waller has ‘strong interview' with Trump for Fed chair job: report

Core Insights - President Trump is actively interviewing candidates to succeed Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, with Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller being a prominent contender [1][4][6] - The candidate list has been narrowed down to four individuals: Waller, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, and BlackRock's Rick Rieder [4][5] - Trump's discussions with Waller focused on the labor market and job creation, indicating a broader economic agenda rather than solely interest rate policies [7][8] Candidate Evaluation - Waller had a "strong interview" with Trump, emphasizing the importance of the labor market and job creation [1][3] - Hassett and Warsh have already been interviewed, while Waller and Rieder are the final candidates yet to complete the interview process [5] - Rieder is scheduled for an interview with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in the last week of the year [4] Economic Focus - Trump's conversations with candidates are described as "broad-based across a series of economic issues," countering the narrative that he seeks a Fed chair who will strictly follow his directives on interest rates [7][8] - In a recent speech, Trump indicated that the next Fed chair would support significantly lower interest rates, which he believes will lead to reduced mortgage payments [10] - Waller has expressed a belief that interest rates could decrease by 50 to 100 basis points and has voiced concerns about a weakening labor market [11]