EXCLUSIVE: Jerome Powell Report Card — 'Disappointing' Or 'Handled Tough Situations'? 39% Of Viewers Chose This

Jerome Powell became Federal Reserve Chairman in 2018 and served eight years, with his tenure leading the Fed nearing an end later this month. His time was met with challenges and investors have different feelings on his handling of COVID-19, inflation and more. Here's what Benzinga readers say about Powell's time leading the Federal Reserve.

Jerome Powell Out As Federal Reserve Chairman

On April 29, 2025, Powell gave his last press conference as the Federal Reserve chairman, nearing the end of his eight years leading the governing body.

Powell previously served as a Federal Reserve Governor from 2012 through 2018. He was later elevated to the position of Federal Reserve Chairman in 2018, a position he was nominated for by President Donald Trump in his first term.

Powell served his first term from 2018 through 2022 and was re-elected to another four-year term in 2022.

During his time leading the Federal Reserve, Powell helped navigate fiscal policy through major events like the COVID-19 pandemic, a period of high inflation and a fight to keep the central bank independent from political pressure.

Powell's time leading in the post-COVID-19 world of rapid economic recovery and low unemployment will be marked as one of his biggest highlights. Others will turn attention to his timeliness on inflation and waiting too long to change rates.

Benzinga recently polled viewers of the morning "PreMarket Playbook" YouTube show hosted by Ryan Faloona (Watch Below). The show airs Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. ET.

"Today was Jerome Powell's final FOMC press conference as Fed Chair. How do you rate his tenure?" Benzinga asked on April 29. Here are the results:

  • Solid-handled tough situations: 39%
  • Mixed bag-wins and losses: 24%
  • One of the best Fed Chairs ever: 19%
  • Disappointing overall: 18%

The winning vote was "Solid," which got 39% of the vote. This and "mixed bag" were the two leading vote getters with a combined 63%. This shows that Powell's time as Fed Chairman will likely be remembered as both good and bad, leaning more towards good.

Read Also: EXCLUSIVE: Forget Fed's 2% Goal — Higher Inflation Could Be 'Pretty Darn Good' For Stocks, Ryan Detrick Says

What Happens Next

Powell will remain a governor of the Federal Reserve after stepping down from the chairman role on May 15, 2026.

He is expected to be succeeded by Kevin Warsh, who was nominated by Trump. Warsh is currently in the congressional approval process and expected to be voted in and sworn in as the next Fed chairman on May 15, 2026.

With a push by Trump to lower rates, there is concern that Warsh could take a less independent approach to leading the Federal Reserve and do what the president asks.

Read Also: Trump's Fed Nominee Is 20x Richer Than The President, With Stakes In SpaceX, Polymarket

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