The man Donald Trump wants to install on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors has offered backhanded compliments to himself ahead of his expected move.

“I’m never going to claim to be the smartest person in the room,” Stephen Miran, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told The Wall Street Journal. “I’m happy to be the most annoying person in the room.”

The comments appeared in a Journal profile charting Miran’s rise from a failed investment firm to the verge of landing one of the most powerful jobs in the U.S. central bank. Miran said his rise can be attributed to asking “forbidden questions” to avoid groupthink.

Critics warn Miran would effectively act as Trump’s proxy at the Fed if he gets the nod.

The Senate is set to vote on Monday on Miran’s confirmation to th

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