# Warsh takes oath as 17th Federal Reserve chair amid independence questions **Published:** 2026-05-22T23:48:50.000Z **Source:** [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/repub/trump-says-kevin-warsh-will-be-totally-independent-as-hes-sworn-in-as-fed-chair/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/warsh-takes-oath-as-17th-federal-reserve-chair-amid-independence-questions Kevin Warsh was sworn in Friday as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve, taking the oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the White House East Room. The ceremony capped a contentious nomination process and raised fresh questions about the central bank's political independence. President Donald Trump told those gathered at the ceremony that he wants Warsh, who previously served as a Federal Reserve governor during the 2008 financial crisis, to be "totally independent." "I want him to be independent and just do a great job. Don't look at me, don't look at anybody, just do your own thing and do a great job," Trump said, according to reporting by the [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/repub/trump-says-kevin-warsh-will-be-totally-independent-as-hes-sworn-in-as-fed-chair/). In brief remarks after taking the oath with his wife, Jane Lauder, holding a Bible, Warsh vowed to be a "reform-oriented" leader. [Warsh took office for a four-year term ending May 21, 2030](https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/kevin-m-warsh), and also chairs the Federal Open Market Committee, the Fed's principal monetary policymaking body. The swearing-in ceremony marks the conclusion of Trump's long campaign against Warsh's predecessor, Jerome Powell, whom the president had repeatedly threatened to fire if Powell did not lower interest rates. Trump's feud with Powell intensified in January when the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Powell and the central bank over renovation costs for the Fed's Washington headquarters. The DOJ ultimately dropped the probe in late April after a federal judge ruled the subpoenas appeared designed to "harass and pressure" Powell. Warsh's nomination faced skepticism even within Republican ranks. The retiring U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., withheld his committee vote to advance Warsh's nomination until the Justice Department announced it would drop the Powell investigation. The Senate ultimately confirmed Warsh in a 54-45 vote on May 13—[the narrowest confirmation vote in Fed chair history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Warsh). Trump has also moved to curtail Federal Reserve independence in other ways. He appointed Stephen Miran, a White House advisor, to the Federal Reserve Board in September, the first person to serve on the Fed while holding another government position since the 1930s. The administration is also litigating whether Trump has the authority to fire Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook without cause—a case now before the Supreme Court. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, criticized Warsh in a Friday statement. "Kevin Warsh starts his tenure with his credibility in tatters," Warren said. "Having proven himself to be Donald Trump's sock puppet, I worry Mr. Warsh will prioritize the President's political interests over the economic well-being of American families." [Federal Reserve chairs are insulated from political pressure by law, serving four-year terms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chair_of_the_Federal_Reserve), and [can only be removed "for cause," traditionally interpreted to mean serious misconduct rather than policy disagreements](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-is-the-federal-reserve-independent-and-what-does-that-mean-in-practice/). Powell will remain as a member of the Fed's Board of Governors, giving Trump an outspoken critic of his policies a seat at the table during Warsh's tenure. ## Sources - [Nebraska Examiner](https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/repub/trump-says-kevin-warsh-will-be-totally-independent-as-hes-sworn-in-as-fed-chair/) - [Federal Reserve History: Kevin M. Warsh biography and tenure information](https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/kevin-m-warsh) - [Wikipedia: Kevin Warsh biography and confirmation vote record](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Warsh) - [Brookings Institution: Federal Reserve independence explained](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-is-the-federal-reserve-independent-and-what-does-that-mean-in-practice/) - [Wikipedia: Chair of the Federal Reserve - roles and term length](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chair_of_the_Federal_Reserve) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Nebraska Examiner, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2026/05/22/repub/trump-says-kevin-warsh-will-be-totally-independent-as-hes-sworn-in-as-fed-chair/.