Trump seems close to naming a new Fed chair: ‘Down to maybe one’

“I’d say we’re down to three, but we’re down to two. And I probably can tell you, we’re down to maybe one, in my mind,” he said in a Wednesday CNBC interview.

That came hours after he stated in his hour-long remarks at the World Economic Forum that he'd be naming his pick to replace Fed chair Jerome Powell "in the not-too-distant future."

"I think he'll do a very good job," Trump said in the speech. "They're all respected. They're all great. Everyone that I interviewed is great."

The four finalists to lead the central bank include Kevin Hassett, a White House economic aide; Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor; Christopher Waller, a current Fed governor; and Rick Rieder, a BlackRock $BLK executive.

Trump signaled last week he may keep Hassett in his current post. Hassett has been widely viewed as the frontrunner given his close ties to the president, a prized credential for many of Trump's nominations. He's also similarly advocated for lower interest rates like Trump, who has attacked Powell relentlessly for months.

But Hassett's standing in the Fed chair race took a hit after the Department of Justice opened a criminal probe into Powell and whether he lied to Congress about ongoing renovations at the Fed headquarters. Powell later released a brief video statement saying the DOJ probe was politically motivated and an attempt to pressure the central bank on lowering interest rates.

Fed policymakers are gathering for a two-day meeting next week to vote on interest rates. The Fed embarked on a rate-cutting spree last year, lowering rates three times to spur economic activity against a weakening labor market. However, most analysts believe the Fed will hold steady on interest rates this time. Powell's term as Fed chair is up in May.