The White House economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, has placed himself at the center of Wall Street’s biggest guessing game, saying to Fox News on Sunday that he would be ‘delighted to serve’ if he were chosen to lead the Federal Reserve.

His public display of willingness instantly shifted betting odds, pushed Treasury yields down, and signaled that President Donald Trump’s long-awaited decision on the Federal Reserve chairmanship could be just days away.

Hassett’s willingness to accept the role follows a Bloomberg report last week that identified him as the favorite within Trump’s inner circle, and coincides with Trump’s own confirmation aboard Air Force One that he has already made his decision.

Prediction markets reacted strongly: Hassett’s odds on Kalshi rose from 55% to 76% within hours, while the 10-year Treasury yield briefly fell to 4%, its lowest level in a month.

The timing is unusually tight. Jerome Powell’s four-year term as chair expires in May 2026, although he could remain on the Board of Governors until January 2028.

Kevin Hassett speaks: Signals, subtext, and the White House manual

Hassett’s carefully crafted language on the Sunday morning talk shows offered more than polite deference. On Fox, he presented his willingness not as ambition but as duty: ‘If he chooses me, I would be delighted to serve.’

On CBS’s Face the Nation, he moved away from speculation about his own candidacy and instead highlighted the market’s positive response to the expectation of Trump’s forthcoming announcement.

“Interest rates came down. We had one of our best Treasury auctions to date,” he told CBS, presenting himself as a steady hand and a sign that lower borrowing costs are on the way.

This approach is deliberate, as Kevin Hassett is known to be closely aligned with Trump’s pro-growth instincts and preference for rate cuts.

By pointing to the market’s enthusiastic reaction, he was subtly countering fears that he would be too politically compliant or unable to unify the Fed’s often-fractious rate-setting committee.

The subtext was unmistakable: the president trusts him, the markets approve, and the White House playbook is to act quickly.

Trump’s own rhetoric reinforces the urgency.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said: “I know who I’m going to pick, yes. We’ll announce it,” a confirmation that stops short of naming Hassett but effectively brings an end to months of public speculation.

Market reaction: Yields, dollars, and the betting markets

Financial markets are already repricing around Hassett. The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond fell to 4% for the first time in a month, a drop that Bloomberg directly attributed to the news that Hassett had become the frontrunner.

Operators are keeping an eye on key data to gauge the Fed’s next move: Treasury yields, federal funds futures, and the trajectory of the dollar against major currencies act as real-time barometers of policy expectations.

The official White House announcement is expected before December 25; stay tuned for comments from Treasury and Fed officials, movements in Treasury yields, and federal funds futures pricing ahead of the December 9–10 FOMC meeting.