WATCH: Senator Blunt Rochester on CNN: “This administration has a pattern of stripping independence”

Click here to watch the Senator's interview

U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) today joined CNN News Central to discuss the nomination hearing for Trump's Federal Reserve Chair nominee Kevin Warsh. Senator Blunt Rochester reaffirmed her commitment to not supporting Trump's nominees while voicing her concern about Mr. Warsh's transparency and his vow to remain independent from Trump.

Below are excerpts of the interview.

On Confirming Warsh as Federal Reserve Chair

"I have been very clear that I have not supported Trump's nominees, and he did not give me any reason to go against my precedent. The issue of independence was front and center because this president has already, for the first time in I think 112 years, Justice Kavanaugh said, wanted to fire a sitting member of the Federal Reserve Board. Not just Chairman Powell but also Governor Lisa Cook. And so, one was the issue of independence. Will Warsh be independent? And second was transparency. He's got about $100 million of assets that he says he will, you know, recuse himself… But Senator Warren and others asked, well, what? Where's the transparency? What is that? So, it was incomplete paperwork, at the same time, also concerns about his independence. "

On Warsh's Commitment to Independence from Trump

"Mr. Warsh actually said presidents in the past have had opinions, but presidents in the past have not threatened to fire members of the board… Mr. Warsh in a statement, he talks about regime change. [I asked] what does that mean? Are they going to get rid of people so that they can replace them with Trump loyalists? We've seen this across the board [with] ACIP, the vaccination board that we will be questioning Secretary Kennedy about later. This is a pattern that this administration has stripped independence. …Ultimately, you know, it is for his political gain and not for the American people. And so, my focus also was to make sure that for Mr. Warsh, his whole goal was not about just Wall Street, but to make sure that Main Street was taken care of as well.