Honestly, sometimes I don't even know what to say.
The White House is considering Mohamed El-Erian for vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, a source confirmed to CNBC.
El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at Allianz, would bring a wealth of experience to the position, including his time at bond giant Pimco.
El-Erian would take the seat vacated in October by Stanley Fischer and presumably would be second in command to Jerome Powell. President Donald Trump recently nominated Powell to take the chairman's position at the central bank when Janet Yellen's term expires in February. The nomination awaits Senate confirmation.
Mohamed El-Erian is an Egyptian who was at one point being considered by the Muslim Brotherhood for Prime Minister of Egypt.
In a further twist to the country’s nascent democratic experiment, Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive of Pimco, may be chosen to lead a new cabinet as Prime Minister, Al-Watan newspaper reported late Monday.
El-Erian told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Tuesday that he had not been approached and "didn't know where" the reports were coming from.
The newspaper cited Ahmed Abu Baraka, an official with the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, as saying that El-Erian was being “studied” as an option. The source went on to describe him as a strong contender for the coveted post, which analysts agree should be held by a person with a business background
This doesn't necessarily mean that El-Erian is a Muslim Brotherhood member. And he claims to have nothing to do with it. He was however a pretty vocal supporter of the overthrow of Mubarak. And a very vocal critic of Trump's own travel ban.
Nor does El-Erian appear to be a Trump supporter. Here's his post-Brussels attack column.
it is likely that the Brussels attacks will further fuel the rise of non-traditional and anti-establishment political movements on both sides of the Atlantic.
In continental Europe, this is likely to translate into a greater empowerment of fringe parties that, in countries such as Denmark and France, already have become serious electoral contenders. In the U.K., the disruption will embolden the anti- immigration message of those who want their nation to leave the European Union. In the U.S., it could lead to greater support for Donald Trump in the Republican presidential nomination contest.
None of these developments has yet reached an unambiguous tipping point. But the horror on Tuesday brings such an outcome a step closer.
I can't help but think that there might be a better candidate. Perhaps one who might actually be more supportive of Trump.