Kevin Hassett's Trump-era makeover is fueling questions about the independence of the Federal Reserve as he emerges as a leading contender to succeed Jerome H. Powell as chair.

President Donald Trump said he would consider National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve. Hassett said he believes the Fed should remain independent but wouldn’t comment on if he would take the job if it was offered to him.

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett is emerging as a serious contender to be the next chair of the U.S. Federal Reserve, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Kevin Hassett, President Donald Trump’s longest-serving economic adviser, is a leading contender to become the next Federal Reserve chairman, a position with significant influence over interest rates and the US economy.

Kevin Hassett, Trump’s adviser and current director of the National Economic Council, gave an interview with CNBC on Sunday in which he said firing Powell was “being looked into” and praised the US president as “one of the most successful, if not the most successful businessmen in the 20th century”.

Federal Reserve Governor Chris Waller, an advocate for an immediate interest rate cut, said on Friday he would accept the job as head of the U.S. central bank if asked by President Donald Trump, but so far Trump has not contacted him about it.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss President Trump's recent tariff announcement on Europe and Mexico, his views on the work of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and more.