Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump's pick to chair the Federal Reserve (the United States' central bank), faced sharp questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing, with lawmakers pressing him on whether he could remain independent from presidential pressure and on the scope of his personal wealth, estimated at over $100 million. Warsh pledged to protect the Fed's independence and said Trump had never asked him to pre-commit to any specific interest rate decision, though analysts noted he carefully avoided criticising the president's economic positions. His confirmation path faces additional complications: Republican Senator Thom Tillis has vowed to block the nomination until a Department of Justice probe into current Fed Chair Jerome Powell — widely seen as politically motivated — is dropped.