President Trump is reportedly leaning toward Jerome Powell, a former investment banker and Treasury Department undersecretary who is presently serving on the Federal Reserve's board of governors, as his pick to replace the Obama-nominated Janet Yellen as the new Fed chair when her term expires in February. Both CNN and The Wall Street Journal on Saturday reported Trump has "settled" on Powell but "hasn't made a formal decision and could still change his mind."
Powell was nominated to his current post by former President Obama, which could help his Senate confirmation process. He has a good working relationship with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who also hails from Wall Street. Powell would be the first fed governor in years to hold a law degree rather than a Ph.D. in economics, and he is expected to basically maintain the central bank's status quo if selected.
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