[Capital Economics: Walsh's Primary Challenge as Fed Chair is Convincing Colleagues to Cut Rates] Jin10 News, February 2 – Capital Economics economists Thomas Ryan and Alexandra Brown stated that if Kevin Walsh assumes the role of Federal Reserve Chair, his primary significant challenge will be persuading other members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to accept his view that 'interest rates should be lower.' They noted: 'If he fails to garner support, Walsh may face criticism from Trump on a scale similar to what former Chair Powell experienced during his tenure.' Although Walsh may have substantial influence over the direction of policy meetings, he himself holds only one vote on the 12-member monetary policy committee. The two economists emphasized that the current FOMC members are largely unified in their stance, believing that the current monetary policy is 'well-positioned' to flexibly respond to upcoming data releases.