RPT - MNI: Bullard Interviewed By Bessent For Fed Chair Job

(Repeats story first published on Sept 11)

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard told MNI he was interviewed for the position of Fed chair Wednesday, and made the case to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that his deep experience serving on the FOMC for 15 years has prepared him well to lead the central bank.

"I emphasized that I might be the most experienced person of the people on the list," he said. "It was a good discussion." 

Bullard, a member of the MNI Connect Advisory Board, is one of several candidates the White House has said it is interviewing to replace Jerome Powell when his term ends in May, and the search process comes at a time of high pressure from the executive on the central bank to lower interest rates.

The Treasury Department did not respond to a request for comment. 

The Wall Street Journal reported this month citing unnamed sources that Bessent was planning to conduct Fed chair interviews starting September 5 to choose finalists from 11 contenders to recommend to President Trump. Bullard, as well as Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh were on that list, the Journal said. 

Trump told reporters Friday that Hassett, Waller and Warsh are "the top three." On Wednesday, the president reiterated his call for Powell to make a large rate cut, writing on Truth Social, "No Inflation!!! 'Too Late' must lower the RATE, BIG, right now." (See: MNI INTERVIEW: Trump Attacks Undermine Case For Fed Cuts-Tracy)