Janet Yellen on her legacy as the first woman to lead the Fed, Trump’s central bank clash, and Kevin Warsh’s tightrope
Janet Yellen, the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve and serve as Treasury Secretary, reflects on her legacy and the challenges facing U.S. economic leadership. She expresses deep concern about threats to the Federal Reserve's independence, particularly under political pressure from former President Trump. Yellen warns that undermining institutions and global economic rules could harm future generations and lead to financial instability.
- ▪Janet Yellen is the first and only person to have held the three top U.S. economic positions: Fed Chair, Treasury Secretary, and White House CEA Chair.
- ▪She has been named a 2026 inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, which she says connects her to the broader story of women’s struggle for equality.
- ▪Yellen warns that political attacks on the Fed’s independence, including attempts to install loyalists and weaponize the DOJ, risk leading the U.S. toward economic instability.
- ▪She criticizes efforts to dismantle global trade rules and deregulate the financial sector, warning of long-term damage to economic welfare and stability.
- ▪Yellen expresses concern that undermining research institutions and the civil service erodes key foundations of American prosperity and governance.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Throughout her career, Janet Yellen has broken barriers with several “firsts.” First woman to lead the Federal Reserve. First female treasury secretary. First and only person to hold the “big three” U.S. economic leadership positions—those two, plus chair of the White House council of economic advisors.Recommended Video Her latest honor is as a 2026 inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Founded in 1969 in Seneca Falls, N.Y., the Hall of Fame each year inducts a class of women, about half contemporary (or living) and half historic. To mark the milestone, Yellen spoke with Fortune about what this means to her and the most pressing political and economic questions of the day.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Fortune.
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