WASHINGTON, April 22 -- Donald Trump's choice to lead the US Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, stressed yesterday that he would not be controlled by the president as he fielded questions on his assets and central bank independence during his confirmation hearing.

Warsh, a former Fed governor, was quick to emphasize his commitment to "ensuring that the conduct of monetary policy remains strictly independent."

He added that he would "absolutely not" be Trump's puppet - an accusation some critics have lobbed at him amid the president's intense pressure on the Fed to cut interest rates.

"The president never asked me to predetermine, commit, fix, decide on any interest rate decision in any of our discussions, nor would I ever agree to do so," W...