White House says pick to replace Feds Powell not imminent after Trump floats 3 or 4 candidates

The White House on Thursday denied that President Trump is close to announcing a replacement for Fed Chair Jerome Powell – just a day after Trump said he had “three or four people” in mind for the job.“No decisions are imminent, although the President has the right to change his mind.The President has many good options to nominate as the next Federal Reserve chairman,” a White House official told The Post on Thursday. The S&P 500 closed near a record high Thursday as US stocks continued to climb, which analysts attributed to a tentative Israel-Iran ceasefire, lower tariff rates, tame inflation data and optimism over interest rate cuts.During a press conference Wednesday at The Hague following a NATO summit, Trump said: “I know within three or four people who I’m going to pick.”Those potential picks might include former Fed governor Kevin Warsh, National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, former World Bank President David Malpass and Fed governor Christopher Waller, according to the Wall Street Journal.“I mean he goes out pretty soon, fortunately, because I think he’s terrible,” Trump said of Powell, whose term expires May 2026.Trump has long taken aim at Powell with scathing rants over his reluctance to slash interest rates, instead leading the central bank with a “wait-and-see” approach. Trump has toyed with the idea of announcing a replacement for Powell by September or October, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. That’s far earlier than the usual three- or four-month transition period, and could give way to a “shadow Fed chair” – an incoming leader with significant sway on the markets.At least one source said the president could be pushed to make an even-earlier announcement this summer over his frustrations.And their feud only appears to be worsening, after Trump on Wednesday called Powell a “very average mentally person” with “a low IQ for what he does.”Mary Dal...