President Donald Trump allowed Fox Busienss host Lou Dobbs to weigh in during an interview about who should chair the powerful Federal Reserve, then allowed that his recommended choice – Janet Yellen – was ‘very impressive.’
‘Tell me who your preference is,’ Trump invited his host to share in an interview that airs on Fox Business Wednesday night. The president had already polled the entire GOP Senate conference the day before, and even invited a show of hands.
‘I’d love to hear it. You could even cut it out if you want. You don’t have to — I would love to hear you. I only want that from people I respect,’ the president flattered his interviewer.
‘I personally believe that Janet Yellen might be worth keeping,’ said Dobbs, a longtime financial news anchor who spent years as a CNN anchor and who like Trump has called for tough borders and criticized NAFTA.
Yellen has chaired the powerful Federal Reserve since 2014.
WHO DO YOU THINK I SHOULD PICK? President Donald Trump invited Fox Business host Lou Dobbs to weigh in on his choice to chair the Federal Reserve
Trump then allowed: ‘I tell you what, she was in my office three days ago. She was very impressive. I like her a lot. I mean, it’s somebody that I am thinking about.’
‘I would certainly think about it,’ the president added.
An announcement is considered likely before Trump heads to Asia next month. Yellen’s term expires in February, four years after she was appointed by President Obama.
Trump said he had met current Fed chair Janet Yellen, an Obama appointee, three days ago
SHOW OF HANDS: Trump has been soliciting opinions on who to name as head of the Federal Reserve
In an unusual move, Trump invited GOP senators to vote by a show of hands on who they supported: Stanford University economist John Taylor or Fed governor Jerome Powell. He has also indicated Yellen was in the mix.
Senators said afterward that Taylor got the most votes.
‘I said they’re both good,’ said Sen. Richard Shelby immediately afterward.
Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn has also been considered in the running, despite having come out with a blistering editorial after Trump flubbed the response to the violence in Charlottesville.
‘No decision has been made and no candidate has been ruled out but Gary´s role is too crucial to getting tax reform done. It might be too important for him to continue to be the lead, for him to announce a change at this time,’ an administration official told Reuters.