Trump Fed Pick Stephen Moore Says ‘I’m All In’ Despite Senate Pushback

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s selection for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Stephen Moore, said he is “all in” for the central bank despite growing objections to his potential nomination among Senate Republicans.

Moore said in an interview on Thursday with Bloomberg News that he spoke to someone at the White House on Wednesday and had no indication he would not be nominated.

“My biggest ally is the president,” he said. “He’s full speed ahead.”

He said he believes he’ll win votes from some Senate Democrats if he can advance to a confirmation hearing before the chamber’s Banking Committee. Moore said he expects Trump to formally nominate him for the Fed within about three weeks.

Moore expressed surprise at push-back to his candidacy from Senate Republicans including Iowa’s Joni Ernst and South Dakota’s John Thune, the second-ranking GOP leader. They have raised concerns about Moore’s past writings in which he disparaged women, and some senators have questioned whether he’s sufficiently independent from the White House.

Moore was an economic adviser to Trump’s campaign and has been a vocal supporter of his policies since he took office.

Moore said his past writings about women were “meant to be humorous.” Economic growth, he said, would be more important for women than “some injudicious things” he wrote more than 15 years ago.

“Yeah I’m embarrassed and apologetic about some of these columns I wrote,” he said.

He said of Ernst’s concerns specifically: “Just because she’s ‘no’ today doesn’t mean she’s ‘no’ three months from now. The world is going to be very different two months from now.”

Moore said he doesn’t always side with the president. For example, he said he disagreed with Trump’s demand on Tuesday that the Fed cut interest rates by as much as a full percentage point and resume bond purchases.

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