Tug of Warsh: will the new chair politicise the Fed?
The Intelligence from The Economist
The Economist
4.5 • 3.7K Ratings
🗓️ 3 February 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After months of speculation, Donald Trump has picked Kevin Warsh to run the Federal Reserve. Our correspondent explains what this means for America–and the world economy. What matters more in Thailand’s election: the will of the people or the power of the monarchy? And why Hong Kong’s humble tram network could help keep tourism on track.
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The Economist |
| 0:02.0 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. |
| 0:10.0 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. |
| 0:14.0 | I'm your host Rosie Bloor. |
| 0:16.0 | Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 0:30.5 | Thailand holds an election this weekend and there's all to play for. But since the country's monarchy dominates politics and the economy, the people's will is only one part of the |
| 0:35.6 | picture. Our correspondent explains what's at stake. |
| 0:41.3 | And mention Hong Kong and you might think of the glittering skyscrapers, |
| 0:45.3 | the night markets, the buzz of the streets. |
| 0:47.3 | But today we highlight something that even visitors to the city are now enjoying, |
| 0:52.3 | in praise of the humble Hong Kong tram. |
| 1:01.6 | First up, though. |
| 1:10.2 | Last year we spoke on the show about who Donald Trump might pick as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. |
| 1:16.8 | It's the decision with a big impact on America and the world economy. |
| 1:21.7 | In the end, the person who got the nod was Kevin Walsh. |
| 1:25.5 | In the whole country, I would say that this was the perfect candidate. |
| 1:30.3 | This was not a surprise or anything. |
| 1:32.3 | This was the man that's most qualified. |
| 1:35.1 | Top student, best schools, everything was like perfect. |
| 1:38.6 | The youngest person ever to serve on the Fed got the whole package. |
| 1:43.0 | Trump lauded Walsh's lengthy CV, writing that, on top of everything else, he is central casting. |
| 1:49.6 | So what can we expect from the Fed with Walsh at the top? |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Economist, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of The Economist and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.