U.S. Treasury Secretary concludes interviews for next Federal Reserve Chair candidate; BlackRock CIO performs "very well"

Jinse Finance reported, citing the Financial Times, that according to several informed sources, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent has concluded interviews with the long list of 11 candidates for Federal Reserve Chair as of Tuesday. Trump is seeking to replace the current Chair, Powell. It is reported that during the two-hour-long interviews, the candidates were personally "grilled" by Bessent, Treasury official Hunter McMaster, and advisor Francis Browne. Some of those interviewed stated that Bessent asked for their views on opinions he recently expressed in an article. The article called for comprehensive reform of the Federal Reserve and criticized its quantitative easing program as a "gain-of-function monetary policy experiment." According to one insider, BlackRock Global Fixed Income CIO Rick Rieder performed "very well." Bessent has remained tight-lipped throughout the process, stating in a recent interview with Fox Business Channel that he hopes to find someone who is "open-minded" and "forward-looking." (Golden Ten Data)