New Delhi, April 23 -- US President Donald Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh is facing the heat before he even gets to that hot seat.

On Tuesday, Senate Banking Committee members lobbed a fiery attack on him during his scheduled confirmation hearing over myriad issues, but most critically over whether he would work independently of the White House.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren called Warsh a "sock puppet" for Trump; on Tuesday, Trump said he'd be "disappointed" if Warsh didn't cut policy rates.

Suspicions have swirled around whether the latter would go by Trump's say-so, although he strongly denied any such allegiance.

Since his confirmation seems likely in a Republican dominated Senate, which way he leads t...