Bessent continues to criticize Powell, saying he is not suitable to participate in the Federal Reserve debate.

On January 21, Wall Street Journal reporter Nick Timiraos stated that Bessent has recently continued to publicly criticize Federal Reserve Chairman Powell. In an interview with CNBC, Bessent said that Powell should not attend the oral arguments in the Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook's case on Wednesday, believing that Powell might attempt to "favor" the Federal Reserve. Nick Timiraos implied that Bessent is uneasy about the Department of Justice's investigation into the Federal Reserve and is concerned that the investigation could affect the Trump administration's efforts to confirm Powell's successor, while also needing to ensure that Powell resigns from his governor position after his term ends in May.