Gold retreats as reports on Trump’s Fed nominee boost dollar

Published Fri, Jan 30, 2026 · 12:17 PM

GOLD fell, following its first drop in nearly two weeks, as the US dollar strengthened after a report the Trump administration is preparing to nominate Kevin Warsh for Federal Reserve chair.

Bullion retreated as much as 4.8 per cent on Friday, having gained as much as 1.4 per cent earlier, continuing the wild swings that interrupted a record-breaking rally in the previous session. A gauge of the dollar rose as much as 0.5 per cent, making precious metals more expensive for most buyers.

President Donald Trump is expected to name Warsh as his nomination for Fed chair, Bloomberg News reported.

He has a longstanding reputation as an inflation hawk, but has aligned himself with the president in recent months by arguing publicly for lower interest rates. Trump said he would announce his nominee on Friday morning US time.

Gold’s move “validates the cautionary tale of fast-up, fast-down,” said Christopher Wong, a strategist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp.

While reports of Warsh’s nomination were a trigger, a correction was overdue, he said. “It’s like one of those excuses markets are waiting for to unwind those parabolic moves,” he said.

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Despite the pullback, gold has gained by more than a fifth so far this year, supported by Trump’s upending of the international order and attacks on the Fed’s independence.

Tensions remain high after Trump threatened to attack Iran, while also saying he will impose tariffs on any countries that provide oil to Cuba. A series of tariff threats against Europe, Canada and South Korea have also shaken markets.

Meanwhile, an imminent risk of another US government shutdown was avoided after Trump and Senate Democrats reached a tentative deal. The White House is continuing to negotiate with Democrats on placing new limits on immigration raids that have provoked a national outcry.