2026年5月22日 / 美国东部时间下午3:33 / 哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）新闻
华盛顿讯 —— 周五，凯文·沃什在白宫宣誓就任美联储主席，从杰罗姆·鲍威尔手中接过这家央行的掌舵权。
“通过此次宣誓，我承担起了一项崇高而庄严的责任。”沃什说道。
“我们美联储的使命是促进物价稳定和实现充分就业，”他说，“当我们以智慧和清晰的头脑、独立性和决心追求这些目标时，通胀可以得到抑制，经济增长会更强劲，实际可支配收入会更高，美国也将更加繁荣。同样重要的是，美国在世界上的地位将更加稳固。”
沃什表示，他将“领导一个以改革为导向的美联储，汲取过往成功与失败的经验教训，摒弃僵化的框架与模型，并坚守清晰的诚信与业绩标准。”
特朗普总统在白宫东厅介绍了沃什，在场的听众包括最高法院大法官、国会议员、内阁成员以及商界领袖。克拉伦斯·托马斯大法官为沃什主持了就职宣誓。沃什在妻子手持的圣经上进行了宣誓。
“说实话，我是真心实意的，这话绝非客套——我希望凯文能够完全独立行事，”特朗普先生说道，“我希望他保持独立，出色完成工作。别盯着我，也别在意任何人，只管做好自己的事，出色完成任务，好吗？”
2026年5月22日，凯文·沃什在白宫东厅接受最高法院大法官克拉伦斯·托马斯宣誓，就任美联储主席。罗伯托·施密特 / 盖蒂图片社
特朗普总统表示，他认为沃什“将被铭记为美联储有史以来最伟大的主席之一”，并补充称沃什拥有“极少数人才具备的能力”，且“备受所有人尊敬”。
特朗普向来毫不掩饰他对美联储的期望。数月来，他一直敦促央行快速降息，并严厉抨击鲍威尔降息步伐缓慢且谨慎。降息或许能提振经济增长、降低借贷成本，但也可能导致通胀反弹。
周五，总统并未直接表明希望美联储降息，但确实推动央行优先考虑经济增长。
“值得庆幸的是，与他的一些前任不同，凯文明白经济繁荣是件好事，”特朗普先生说，“我们想要遏制通胀，但我们不想阻止经济腾飞……你不必因为经济形势向好就停下发展的脚步。”
过去一年，特朗普在降息诉求上表达得更为明确。他称鲍威尔为“白痴”“顽固的骡子”和“蠢货”，并公开流露过解雇鲍威尔的想法。鲍威尔曾指控司法部发起刑事调查，以胁迫他调整货币政策立场，检方对此予以否认，但一名法官支持了鲍威尔的说法。司法部于上月终止了该调查，因为美联储内部监察机构已接手此事。
鲍威尔自2018年起担任美联储主席，带领央行度过了新冠疫情以及通胀大幅飙升的时期。
沃什誓言将维护美联储在货币政策上的独立性，他曾对议员表示，绝不会“按照特朗普先生的要求预先确定利率”。他暗示愿意与特朗普政府在其他议题上开展合作，并于去年提出，美联储与财政部可以就央行资产负债表达成新的“协议”。
目前尚不清楚沃什是否会满足总统的降息诉求。货币政策由12名美联储高级官员组成的委员会决定，尽管主席通常拥有较大话语权，但沃什仍需说服委员会成员降息是合理之举。
当前，美联储正面临棘手的经济形势。通胀率仍高于美联储2%的目标，且受伊朗战争影响，3月份通胀率出现飙升。部分支持降息的人士担忧劳动力市场可能走弱，尽管就业数据一直表现强劲。
利率制定委员会成员意见存在分歧——其中一些人并不认为应该降息。该委员会在4月的上次会议上投票决定维持利率不变，但有三名成员反对美联储会后声明中暗示降息的表述。根据本周早些时候公布的会议纪要，“多数”与会者认为，如果通胀持续高于每年2%的水平，可能有必要加息。
金融市场也预计短期内不会降息。芝加哥商品交易所集团（CME Group）的美联储观察工具（FedWatch）追踪市场情绪，数据显示，投资者认为委员会在6月的下次会议上维持利率不变的可能性最大，到今年年底，投资者认为利率维持在当前水平以上的概率接近70%。
与传统做法不同的是，鲍威尔仍将参与决策。他计划继续留在美联储理事会——这使他有权在利率制定委员会中拥有席位——直到他认为司法部的调查“彻底结束”。
沃什本人并未暗示是否会推行降息政策。
沃什2006年至2011年曾在美联储理事会任职，当时以鹰派立场著称，以主张紧缩货币政策而闻名。但去年，他公开支持降息，并认为人工智能将压低通胀、提振生产率，为美联储放松货币政策留出空间。这可能会在利率制定委员会引发争议：至少另有一名成员认为，人工智能热潮可能会推高通胀。
曾与沃什一同在美联储理事会任职、并在前总统乔治·W·布什时期担任经济幕僚的兰德尔·克罗兹纳上周对CBS新闻表示，他不认为沃什会屈服于短期政治压力。
“凯文是一名长远的战略思想家，”现任芝加哥大学教授的克罗兹纳说道，“他明白，要办成事，你需要……围绕目标达成共识。你不能一上来就说‘把他们都换掉，我想这么做或者那么做’。这不会有什么效果。”
凯瑟琳·沃森为本报道撰稿。
Kevin Warsh sworn in as new Fed chair at White House, replacing Powell
May 22, 2026 / 3:33 PM EDT / CBS News
Washington — Kevin Warsh was sworn in as the chairman of the Federal Reserve on Friday, taking the reins of the central bank from Jerome Powell after a ceremony at the White House.
“With this oath, I’ve accepted a high and solemn responsibility,” Warsh said.
“Our mandate at the Fed is to promote price stability and maximum employment,” he said. “When we pursue those aims with wisdom and clarity, independence and resolve, inflation can be lower, growth stronger, real take-home pay higher and America can be more prosperous. And no less important, America’s place in the world more secure.”
Warsh said he will “lead a reform-oriented Federal Reserve, learning from past successes and mistakes both, escaping static frameworks and models, and upholding clear standards of integrity and performance.”
President Trump introduced Warsh in the White House East Room, addressing a crowd that included Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, Cabinet members and business leaders. Justice Clarence Thomas swore Warsh into office. He took the oath on a Bible held by his wife.
“Honestly, I really mean this, this is not said in any other way, I want Kevin to be totally independent,” Mr. Trump said. “I want him to be independent and just do a great job. Don’t look at me, don’t look at anybody, just do your own thing and do a great job, OK?”
Kevin Warsh takes the oath of office from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to become Fed chairman in the East Room of the White House on May 22, 2026. Roberto Schmidt / Getty Images
The president said he thinks Warsh “will go down as one of the truly great chairmen of the Federal Reserve that we’ve ever had,” adding that he has “abilities that very few people have” and is “respected by everybody.”
Mr. Trump hasn’t been shy about his goals for the Federal Reserve. For months, he has pushed the central bank to rapidly slash interest rates, and he’s attacked Powell relentlessly for lowering rates at a slow and cautious clip. Lower rates could boost economic growth and cut borrowing costs, but they could also cause inflation to resurge.
The president didn’t say outright on Friday that he wants the Fed to lower interest rates, but he did push the central bank to prioritize economic growth.
“Thankfully, unlike some of his predecessors, Kevin understands that when the economy is booming, that’s a good thing,” Mr. Trump said. “We want to stop inflation, but we don’t want to stop greatness. … You don’t have to stop the world because you’re doing well.”
Over the last year, the president has been more explicit about his desire for lower rates. He branded Powell a “numbskull,” a “stubborn mule” and a “moron,” and openly flirted with firing him. Powell alleged that the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation in order to intimidate him into adjusting his monetary policy views, which prosecutors denied but a judge agreed with. Prosecutors closed the probe last month because the Fed’s internal watchdog is taking it over.
Powell has chaired the Fed since 2018, steering the central bank through the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe run-up in inflation.
Warsh has vowed to preserve the Fed’s independence over monetary policy, telling lawmakers he will never “predetermine” interest rates at Mr. Trump’s request. He has suggested he’s open to working with the Trump administration on other issues, arguing last year that the Fed and the Treasury Department could strike a new “accord” governing the central bank’s balance sheet.
It’s unclear whether Warsh will deliver on the president’s desire for lower rates. Monetary policy decisions are made by a committee of 12 top Fed officials, and while the chair usually has a lot of sway, Warsh would still need to persuade the panel that rate cuts make sense.
Right now, the Fed is dealing with a tricky economic picture. Inflation is still above the Fed’s 2% target, and it spiked in March due to the Iran war. Some supporters of rate cuts are concerned the labor market could weaken, though employment figures have been strong.
Members of the rate-setting committee are divided — and some of them seem unconvinced that they should ease rates. The panel voted to leave rates stable at its last meeting in April, but three members objected to a sentence in the Fed’s post-meeting statement that hinted at cuts. A “majority” of participants felt that a rate increase would probably be necessary if inflation remains stuck above 2% per year, according to meeting minutes released earlier this week.
Financial markets also don’t expect an interest rate cut any time soon. Investors believe the most likely scenario is for the committee to leave rates stable at its next meeting in June, and by the end of the year, investors think there’s a nearly 70% chance that rates will be above their current levels, according to CME Group’s FedWatch, which tracks market sentiment.
In a break with tradition, one of the deciders will be Powell. He is planning to remain on the Fed’s Board of Governors — entitling him to a seat on the rate-setting committee — until he decides the Justice Department probe is “well and truly over.”
Warsh, for his part, has not hinted at whether he will pursue rate cuts.
When Warsh served on the Fed board from 2006 to 2011, he had a reputation as a hawk, known for preferring tighter monetary policy. But last year, he came out in favor of lower rates, and he has argued that artificial intelligence will push down inflation and boost productivity, giving the Fed room to ease up. That could be a point of debate on the rate-setting committee: At least one other member thinks the AI boom might cause higher inflation.
Randall Kroszner — who served with Warsh on the Fed board and as an economic staffer under former President George W. Bush — told CBS News last week he does not expect Warsh to give into short-term political pressure.
“Kevin is a long-run strategic thinker,” said Kroszner, who is now a University of Chicago professor. “He understands that to get things done, you need to … build a consensus around things. You can’t just come in and say, ‘Off with their heads, I want to do this or I want to do that.’ That’s not going to be very effective.”
Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.