Republican concern could doom Trump's Fed pick Moore

Several Senate Republicans expressed concern or outright opposition Wednesday to conservative pundit Stephen Moore gaining a seat on the US Federal Reserve board, potentially torpedoing President Donald Trump's pick before his official nomination.

Five of the 53 Republicans in the 100-member chamber told AFP there were serious problems with Trump's choice of Moore, adding to the concerns that at least two other Republican senators shared with reporters in recent days.

Trump has repeatedly ignored norms designed to protect the Fed's independence from political influence, which could undermine its credibility, and his nominations of Moore as well as the now-withdrawn Hermain Cain led some to see an attempt to bring pressure from the inside.

Senator Joni Ernst hardened her opposition after the emergence of articles and speeches by Moore over the years, some of which have been criticized as sexist or trafficked in racism.

"I'm a no," she said.

Ernst, who this year divulged that she suffered a sexual assault, is seen as an important voice on the nomination, particularly among Republican women.

Senator Susan Collins said she will wait to see whether Moore gets nominated before deciding how she will vote, but "some of his writings about women I find offensive, and I'm concerned about whether he respects the independence of the Federal Reserve."