Hassett is the most likely successor to the Federal Reserve Chairman, but he is the most unpopular.

While the market widely expects Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, to be nominated as the next Federal Reserve chairman, respondents in a CNBC Fed survey made it clear that he was not their first choice. The December survey showed that 84% of respondents believed President Trump would nominate Hassett to head the Fed. However, only 11% thought the president “should” do so. Fed Governor Christopher Waller led with 47% support, followed by Kevin Warsh with 23%. However, only 5% of respondents believed Trump would nominate either of them. Concerns about Hassett seem to focus on his commitment to the Fed’s dual mandate and independence. 76% of respondents believed the next Fed chairman would be more dovish than current chairman Jerome Powell—cutting rates faster when the labor market is weak and raising rates later when facing above-target inflation. A majority of respondents (51%) believed the next chairman would likely meet Trump's demands for interest rate cuts, while 41% thought he would act independently. (Jinshi)