WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump’s short list of candidates to succeed Mr Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve now includes his aide Kevin Hassett, former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and current Fed Governor Christopher Waller.

Mr Trump told reporters at the White House that the three men were the finalists for appointments to the Fed, adding he would consider Mr Scott Bessent, too, but that the Treasury secretary was not interested.

Mr Bessent, who was with the president in the Oval Office, confirmed his lack of interest.

“I had four,” Mr Trump said. “Now I’m talking about three. He (Bessent) told me: ‘I’m not leaving’.”

The president has made clear he intends to install a Fed leader more aligned with his push for

rapid interest-rate cuts

Mr Powell’s Fed has kept rates on hold all year on concern that Mr Trump’s tariffs could reignite inflation, although recently his concerns have shifted to centre more on the slowing labor market.

The choice of a Fed chair will carry high stakes for financial markets, which closely watch Fed leadership changes for clues about the direction of interest rates, inflation policy and the central bank’s independence.

US job growth weakened sharply in August and the unemployment rate increased to nearly a four-year high of 4.3 per cent, the Labour Department said on Sept 5, confirming that labour market conditions were softenin...