Supervising Banks in 2026 Without CFPB
In an emailed press release to accompany the humility pledge, the CFPB characterized the bureau’s Biden-era supervision efforts as “thuggery,” calling out ex-supervision chief Lorelei Salas as “a former [Democratic donor George] Soros activist who was put on leave in February 2025.” Further, bureau leadership labeled the pre-Trump supervision unit as “a weaponized arm of the CFPB.”
Challenges in Bank Supervision
In a LinkedIn post, Allison Preiss, who until February served as senior adviser to the CFPB director, said the humility pledge “might be better characterized as a humiliation pledge.”
Impact on Bank Exams
“The notion that federal employees should genuflect, trembling, before a Wells Fargo or Bank of America, is some of the most ridiculous nonsense I’ve read all week,” she wrote.
In another LinkedIn post, Tyler Creighton, counsel at the CFPB, took issue with the idea that the bureau is calling out examiners’ past conduct.
Future of Bank Supervision
“Supervision’s workers have always conducted examinations professionally, efficiently, conscientiously, and with a focus on remedying consumer harm,” he wrote. “We will continue to do so, just as soon as Donald Trump and Russell Vought end the nearly 10-month suspension of examinations and let us get back to work for the American people.”
Conclusion
As the landscape of bank supervision evolves, the closure of CFPB poses challenges for overseeing banks in 2026. The debates around the humility pledge and the future of bank exams under budget constraints raise important questions about the effectiveness and efficiency of regulatory oversight. It remains to be seen how these issues will be addressed in the coming years.
