CFPB Chief Rohit Chopra Battles for Consumers, Wall Street Journal Outraged!

The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal expressed their displeasure on Thursday that Rohit Chopra, head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), remains in charge as the first week of President Donald Trump’s second term in office concludes.

The Journal posed the question in a late Thursday editorial, titled “Why Is Rohit Chopra Still Employed at the CFPB?”, which was published shortly after the bureau, under Chopra’s leadership, announced the opening of a public comment period on credit card interest rates and other terms.

“Americans are burdened with over $1 trillion in credit card debt, struggling under the weight of high interest rates and fees,” Chopra stated in a social media post on Thursday morning.

Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project, commented, “The only parties opposing this initiative are large banks and credit card companies, who prefer the CFPB to remain passive while they accumulate substantial profits from consumers through high fees and interest rates, often exceeding 30%.”

Chopra, appointed by former President Joe Biden, has been a focal point of criticism from Republicans and allies of Trump, including business magnate Elon Musk. Trump, during his initial term, tried to undermine the CFPB by appointing a bureau critic as its head.

Although Chopra has cleared out his office in Washington, D.C., Trump has not yet dismissed the CFPB director—a situation that is reportedly causing anxiety on Wall Street.

“It’s somewhat entertaining that it hasn’t happened yet. Amid all the chaos, it’s slightly comforting to see Wall Street uneasy,” read a quote reflecting the situation.

The Journal‘s editorial board, often seen as a proponent of corporate interests, criticized Chopra on Thursday for “promoting progressive pet projects during his tenure, including policies that eliminate medical debt from consumer credit reports and limit bank overdraft charges.”

The piece further alleges, based on unnamed sources, that Chopra has attempted to “curry favor with [Vice President] JD Vance in order to complete his term,” which is set to end in October 2026.

Various news outlets have indicated that the Trump administration is having trouble finding a replacement for Chopra—a challenge that isn’t surprising, according to one watchdog.

“Taking on the role of the enforcer against the kind of deceitful actors that the CFPB tackles is not an appealing job—particularly as some within MAGA might criticize you,” Jeff Hauser of the Revolving Door Project explained to The American Prospect.

In a column published Friday, The Prospect‘s David Dayen remarked that Chopra’s ongoing leadership at the CFPB is “causing panic on Wall Street.”

“Although his dismissal seemed imminent, his office remains proactive,” Dayen noted. “On Tuesday, the CFPB finalized a settlement with Argus Information and Advisory Services, a subsidiary of TransUnion and a habitual offender of various financial and data privacy laws. Argus agreed to abstain from seeking any contracts with the CFPB for five years. Then on Thursday, the CFPB issued a report indicating a spike in auto repossessions, significantly above pre-pandemic levels.”

Over the last four years, the CFPB under Chopra has succeeded in returning over $6 billion to American consumers, according to the Consumer Federation of America.

Dayen concluded, “If Chopra keeps up his aggressive stance against financial magnates and oligarchs—with Big Tech as a primary focus—the pressure to remove him will only intensify.”

“It’s just amusing that it hasn’t happened yet,” Dayen reiterated. “In the midst of all the destruction, it’s somewhat comforting to see Wall Street squirm.”