WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump said on Friday that his short list of candidates to succeed Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve is down to four people and includes Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Trump said he's also considering former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh and current Fed Governor Christopher Waller.

The president has made clear he intends to install a Fed leader more aligned with his push for rapid interest-rate cuts, accusing Powell of being "too late" to act on borrowing costs and of hurting home buyers with higher mortgage rates.

The choice of a Fed chair will carry high stakes for financial markets, which closely watch Fed leadership changes for clues about the direction of interest rates, inflation policy and the central bank's independence.