WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would likely pick someone to serve out the remaining months of a soon-to-be vacant position on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors in the next two to three days, choosing from a shortlist of three.
"We started the interviewing process," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, noting that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Vice President JD Vance were all involved.
"We have some great candidates.
It's probably down to three," he said.
Fed Governor Adriana Kugler last week unexpectedly announced she was leaving as of this Friday to return to Georgetown University, where she is a tenured professor.
Trump has long sought to oust Fed Chair Jerome Powell or at least replace him when his term ends in May.
On Wednesday he indicated the current Fed governor search would focus only on finding someone to serve out the remainder of Kugler's term, which runs through January, rather than identifying a longer-term successor.
"We're probably going to go with a temp and then a permanent, I think," Trump said. "So, the temp is going to be named, I'd say, in the next two, three days, and then we're going to go permanent."
He repeated earlier comments complimenting the "two Kevins" - former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and current National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett - without mentioning the third candidate.
Trump said again that Bessent was not interested in the job, and said the new governor nominee would have roots in Wall Street. "Essentially, we're all from Wall Street, aren't we?" he said.
On Tuesday, Trump said he had narrowed his search for a new Fed chair to four people, one of whom is thought to be current Fed Governor Christopher Waller.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Jeff Mason; Editing by Leslie Adler and Nia Williams)