Sen. Thom Tillis Vows To Block All Fed Nominees After DOJ Probe Into Jerome Powell

Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is vowing to block all of President Donald Trump’s future appointees to the Federal Reserve — including the upcoming Chair vacancy — citing the Justice Department’s criminal probe into chairman Jerome Powell.

Tillis, a retiring lawmaker who sits on the Senate Banking Committee, holds considerable influence over who Trump is able to confirm to the Fed.

“If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none,” Tillis wrote in a statement after news of the federal probe became public late Sunday.

“It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question,” Tillis added.

Republicans hold a 13-11 majority on the panel, meaning a “no” vote from Tillis would leave a prospective Trump nominee short of the necessary votes to advance out of committee in a party-line vote. In this case, Republicans could try to advance a potential Fed nominee via a different procedural route, but that move could also fail if there is enough GOP opposition.

Powell, who was first appointed as Fed chair during Trump’s first administration and later reappointed under former President Joe Biden, is slated to step down as chairman on May 15, though he could remain a Fed governor through 2028.

White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh are