‘I’m not very tauntable’: It’s a Fed Chair nightmare for Trump where one Republican’s ‘no’ could spell disaster for Kevin Warsh
Tightening the screws.
Sen. Thom Tillis is making it crystal clear he’s not backing down in his standoff with the administration over Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The outgoing North Carolina Republican is blocking the confirmation of President Donald Trump’s Fed chair nominee, Kevin Warsh, until the Justice Department drops its investigation into Powell. With Warsh’s Senate Banking Committee hearing just days away, Tillis holds all the leverage and he’s not afraid to use it.
According to Politico, Tillis didn’t mince words when he spoke to reporters on April 15, 2026, firing back at the administration’s attempts to pressure him. “I’m not dead yet,” he said, brushing off the president’s dismissive remarks about his Senate status. “I’m not very tauntable. That’s part of growing up in a trailer park, you kind of get used to this stuff.”
The core of the conflict revolves around the DOJ’s investigation into Powell, which centers on whether he lied to Congress about cost overruns during the Fed’s Washington headquarters renovation. Powell has denied any wrongdoing, but the probe has become a major roadblock.
It’s a rare moment where a retiring senator is still calling the shots
Tillis and other Republicans argue the investigation is politically motivated, a pretext to push Powell out for not cutting interest rates aggressively enough. “It’s kind of like, guys, what are you doing?” Tillis said, mocking the DOJ’s recent unannounced visit to the Fed’s renovation site. “You’re watching too many cop shows thinking that that’s cute – go up there intimidating a witness. For goodness sake – that’s so bush league.”
The administration, however, isn’t backing down. The president doubled down on the same day, saying he’d fire Powell if he doesn’t step down when his term as chair ends next month. “Whether it’s incompetence, corruption, or both, I think you have to find out,” he said. But legal experts warn that any attempt to oust Powell would trigger a major legal battle, and the Supreme Court has already signaled it won’t look kindly on presidential interference with the Fed’s independence.
Moreover, Republican Senator Tillis is warning that the administration’s strategy could backfire spectacularly. “He won’t have the right to terminate him, and all we’ve done is wasted time that could have otherwise resulted in a new chair and a new Fed board member under this president,” he said.
For now, Warsh’s confirmation is stuck in limbo, and Senate Republicans are making it clear they don’t expect Tillis to fold. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday that the administration needs to “deal with the committee, and they’re going to have to deal with Tillis.”
The DOJ’s investigation has only intensified the tension
Officials from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office showing up unannounced at the Fed’s renovation site drew sharp criticism from the Fed’s outside counsel. Robert Hur, the Fed’s lawyer, emailed the Department of Justice officials to call out their attempt to bypass a federal judge’s ruling blocking subpoenas.
“As you know, Chief Judge [James] Boasberg has concluded that your interest in the Federal Reserve’s renovation project was pretextual,” Hur wrote. “Should you wish to challenge that finding, the courts provide an avenue for you; it is not appropriate for you to try to circumvent it.”
Pirro, however, isn’t backing down. She defended the investigation, pointing to the nearly 80% cost overrun on the Fed’s renovation. “And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?” she asked. It’s a question that’s resonating with some Republicans, but not enough to break the stalemate.
Tillis, for his part, is leaving the door open to using even more leverage if the probe continues. He’s warned that he could block any attorney general nominee who dismisses the events of January 6, 2021, and he’s not ruling out making the Fed investigation a litmus test for future nominees.
The standoff is a high-stakes game of chicken
With Warsh’s confirmation hearing set for next Tuesday, the administration is running out of time to resolve the impasse. And if they don’t, the Fed could be left without a confirmed chair for the foreseeable future. It’s a mess of the administration’s own making, and Tillis is making sure they feel every bit of the pressure.
For now, the ball is in the administration’s court. They can either drop the investigation and move forward with Warsh’s confirmation, or they can keep digging in and risk leaving the Fed in limbo. Tillis has made it clear he’s not bluffing, and with his Senate career winding down, he’s got nothing to lose.
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