Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, after he vowed to oppose the nomination of Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve chairman. Tillis said he would withhold his support until an investigation into Jerome Powell, the current Fed chair, is completed, arguing that political pressure on the central bank is unacceptable. He added that “Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable.”
"I certainly don't think a United States sitting senator should be holding the entire country and our economy hostage over the fact that he has some political disagreements with an investigation that the Department of Justice is overseeing," Leavitt argued. "The DOJ is overseeing a probe into Jerome Powell, a legitimate probe. And Jerome Powell is expected to be out of this job in May anyway, so I don't understand Senator Tillis' argument there. President Trump has appointed Kevin Warsh, a highly qualified and distinguished economist with an exceptional résumé, and the White House will work with the Senate to quickly confirm him, because we need a new Chairman of the Fed. Not just for timing purposes, but also for our economy. Look, President Trump has brought the core annualized inflation rate down to 1.4 percent. This is a remarkable turnaround, from the record high nine percent inflation we saw under the previous administration."
"President Trump has done the work, his policies are working, and interest rates for the American people need to be lowered. Kevin Warh ultimately will make that decision himself. But it's very unfortunate that Senator Tillis is making such comments," Leavit added.
.@PressSec: "President Trump has appointed Kevin Warsh, who is a highly qualified and distinguished economist with a very exceptional résumé, and the White House is going to work with the Senate to quickly confirm him — because we need a new Chairman of the Fed." pic.twitter.com/iNSc7Vtl34
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 1, 2026
Sen. Tillis's comments came on Friday, as he appeared to argue that supporting President Trump's latest nomination would result in a threat to the Federal Reserve's independence.
"My position has not changed," Sen. Tillis wrote on X. "I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved."
"Kevin Warsh is a qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy," he continued. "However, the Department of Justice continues to pursue a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell based on committee testimony that no reasonable person could construe as possessing criminal intent. Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable."
Kevin Warsh is a qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy. However, the Department of Justice continues to pursue a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell based on committee testimony that no reasonable person could construe as possessing…
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) January 30, 2026
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