Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is threatening to block all of President Donald Trump's Federal Reserve chair nominees amid a federal investigation into current Chair Jerome Powell.
In a Sunday night statement, Tillis, who is not seeking reelection this year, warned that the Justice Department's probe into Powell threatens the Fed's independence.
"If there were any remaining doubt whether advisers within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none. It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question," Tillis said in an X post.
"I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed — including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy — until this legal matter is fully resolved," he concluded.
Powell's term expires in May.
White House economic adviser and director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett is seen as the leading contender to replace Powell. But he would have to get confirmed by the Senate, and Tillis is a member of the banking committee that oversees Fed appointments.
Tillis' response comes after the Justice Department subpoenaed the Federal Reserve on Friday in an investigation tied to Powell's June Senate testimony over ballooning renovation costs at the Fed's headquarters.
Powell confirmed the subpoena Sunday, saying the probe is part of a pressure campaign fueled by the administration's frustration with the Fed's interest rate policy.
"This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether, instead, monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation," Powell said in a video statement Sunday.
Trump said Sunday that he had no knowledge of the Justice Department's investigation into the Federal Reserve.
"I don't know anything about it, but he's certainly not very good at the Fed, and he's not very good at building buildings," NBC quoted Trump as saying.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., also cast doubt on the probe, arguing the focus on renovation costs distracts from "bigger issues."
"We'll let the system play through here. I think this is the president … almost trolling here," Marshall said Monday, The Hill reported. "We got bigger issues to go after than this one, though."
Tillis has frequently broken with Trump. Most notably, Tillis opposed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, prompting the president to publicly blast the senator.
Tillis also criticized Trump's efforts to challenge the 2020 election and blocked a Trump-backed U.S. attorney nominee.
Trump later mocked Tillis on Truth Social and praised his decision not to seek reelection.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.