Kevin Warsh has clashed with Democratic senators during a fiery confirmation hearing to decide whether he should be installed as Federal Reserve chairman.

From suggestions that he would be President Donald Trump's "sock puppet" to questions over his links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, here are the key takeaways from Tuesday's showdown in the Senate.

Warsh denies being Trump's 'sock puppet'
Senator Elizabeth Warren, the ranking Democrat on the banking committee that is overseeing his confirmation, said Warsh would be little more as Fed chairman than Trump's "sock puppet".

Trump has suggested that, if confirmed, Warsh would conform to his agenda and lower interest rates, which the president argues is necessary to boost the US economy.

Warren said that "having a sock puppet in charge of the Fed would give the president access to the Fed's powerful authorities to enrich himself, his family and his Wall Street buddies".

Asked whether he would indeed be the president's sock puppet, Warsh said: "Absolutely not."

The former Fed governor said the independence of America's central bank "is essential" and vowed that he would be committed to preserving its self-governance.