Washington —
Kevin Warsh was narrowly confirmed Wednesday by the Senate to serve as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve, inheriting a central bank that has long been under political siege from President Donald Trump and an economy rattled by geopolitical tensions that are driving inflation higher.
Warsh will formally succeed Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose eight-year tenure was marked by several economic crises and a heated clash with the White House to defend the US central bank’s political independence.
Warsh was confirmed in a 54-45 vote, mostly split along party lines, with only Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossing the aisle to vote in favor of Warsh’s nomination. It was the most partisan vote for a Fed chair nominee in history, underscoring the unease among Democrats with Trump’s fight against the Fed, though Republicans broadly welcome Warsh’s leadership.
Warsh is widely viewed as more aligned with President Donald Trump, who has long demanded rate cuts, but he is set to take office as inflation pressures intensify due to the US-Israeli war with Iran. Inflation jumped to a three-year high in April, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, and now outpaces wage growth.
