Trump’s Whisper Gets Markets Doing the Hokey Pokey on Kevin Hassett’s Fed Chair Odds

by

In the grand tradition of abruptly announced surprises and vague hints, Donald Trump decided to sprinkle some mystery dust onto the already chaotic potion that is U.S. monetary policy. Apparently, instead of a straightforward announcement, he opted for the more dramatic approach of whispering “potential Fed chair” during a White House event-probably to keep everyone guessing like a particularly suspicious poker player who’s just bluffed the entire table. 🎭

Trump, with the subtlety of a toddler in a toy store, greeted Hassett as a “potential Fed chair,” leaving the markets to scramble like cats chasing a laser pointer. “It’s a great group, and I guess a potential Fed chair is here too,” he said, possibly with a mischievous grin under that ever-present squint. “I don’t know, are we allowed to say that, potential? He’s a respected person, that I can tell you. Thank you, Kevin.” Because nothing says “decisive leadership” like hedging your bets with a side of “maybe, maybe not.”

Earlier that day, Trump apparently told his cabinet that they’d already whittled down the candidate list to one-probably after the obligatory impromptu game of ‘Who’s the Most Likely to Get Fired First.’ “I think we probably looked at 10 and we have it down to one,” he quipped, possibly to the relief of some, and the dismay of others who enjoy unpredictability like a dog enjoys chasing its tail. 🐶

image

Market prediction fans-those brave souls who bet on the future with more confidence than a weather forecaster-noticed the odds for Hassett to become the next Fed boss surge like a balloon at a birthday party. Before Trump’s cryptic hints, the odds on Kalshi’s prediction market sat at a cozy 66%, but after letting slip the secret, they shot up to a mighty 85%. Meanwhile, on Polymarket, it was pretty much a mirror image-because we all love a good conspiracy mirror, don’t we? 🔮

image

Kevin Hassett-who was plucked from the mystical realm of the National Economic Council in January 2025-has gained some crypto-friendly street cred by owning a cool million in Coinbase and overseeing digital assets like the government’s very own digital wizard. The big question: will this crypto-saint ascendance influence the Fed’s mighty decisions? With Jerome Powell’s term ending in May 2026, the suspense is thicker than a bowl of oatmeal. 🥄

Meanwhile, Trump’s rivalry with Powell is a bit like a soap opera-full of dramatic lines such as, “I’d love to fire his ass… grossly incompetent,” uttered at a US-Saudi Investment Forum-because nothing like a little international spice to keep things interesting. 🌶️

How a new Fed boss could shake the crypto tree (and the basket)

Scott Bessent, treasury’s secret agent in charge of finding the next Fed leader, has made it clear that the new boss should be more like a shadowy figure lurking behind the curtains-less “front and center,” more “for the love of quiet, please!” His strategy: make the Fed so invisible that even Superman would need a magnifying glass to find it. 🕵️‍♂️

While the Fed itself doesn’t directly toss rules at cryptocurrencies like a bemused chef tossing salad, its decisions on rates and regulations send ripples through crypto waters-sometimes causing more tantrums than a toddler denied candy. Lower rates tend to make crypto enthusiasts do victory dances, especially since Hassett has criticized recent rate hikes as being as subtle as a sledgehammer in a glass shop. And if the Fed tightens or loosens banking rules? Well, expect that to ripple out like a rock thrown into a pond full of popcorn. 🍿

Read More

2025-12-03 04:51