Kevin Warsh is now the most powerful economic policymaker on the planet. President Donald Trump officiated his swearing-in as Federal Reserve chair on May 22, 2026, a ceremony held at the White House for the first time since 1987.
A razor-thin confirmation
Warsh’s path to the Fed’s top seat was anything but smooth. The Senate confirmed him on May 13 with a 54-45 vote, the narrowest margin ever recorded for a Federal Reserve chair. Only one Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman, crossed the aisle to support the nomination.
Trump first put Warsh’s name forward in late January 2026. Warsh served as a Fed governor from 2006 to 2011, a period that included the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
During the ceremony, Trump praised Warsh as destined to be a “great chairman” while simultaneously urging him to maintain independence in his policy decisions.
