New Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Expected to Take Tougher Stance on Inflation

The Federal Reserve heavily influences savings rates, borrowing costs and the overall health of the U.S. economy, meaning its policies can affect everything from mortgage rates to inflation, according to a Yahoo Finance report by Emily Batdorf.

Warsh currently serves as a distinguished fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and lectures at the Graduate School of Business. (Photo: Hoover Institution)

On May 13, 2026, Kevin Warsh was confirmed to lead the Fed and is expected to take a different approach from his predecessor, Jerome Powell.

Warsh studied economics and statistics at Stanford University before attending Harvard Law School. After graduation, he joined Morgan Stanley & Co. as a financial adviser.

In 2002, Warsh left Morgan Stanley to serve as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and executive secretary of the National Economic Council.

Bush later nominated him to the Fed’s Board of Governors in 2006, where he served until 2011.

Warsh currently serves as a distinguished fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and lectures at the Graduate School of Business.

Economists generally view Warsh as a policy hawk, meaning he tends to prioritize controlling inflation through higher interest rates rather than stimulating economic growth.