President Trump’s top economics adviser Gary Cohn — who opposed his plan to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum — will resign in coming weeks, a brand new report stated Tuesday.
White House officials informed The New York Times that there was no particular cause for Cohn’s departure — and the president praised him in an announcement to the paper.
“Gary has been my chief economic adviser and did a superb job in driving our agenda, helping to deliver historic tax cuts and reforms and unleashing the American economy once again,” Trump stated.
“He is a rare talent, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people.”
Cohn, head of the National Economic Council, is the newest departure of a high-level White House official.
Others include ex-communications director Hope Hicks, one of the president’s most-trusted aides, and staff secretary Rob Porter, who was pressured out after his two ex-wives accused him of being a wife beater.
Cohn, described as a free market Democrat who virtually quit once before over the president’s divisive feedback on the white nationalists’ riot in Charlottesville, Virginia.
And his departure comes at a time that the president is placing fresh emphasis on his America-first agenda, threatening to slap a 25% tariff on imported steel and a 10% tariff on imported aluminum.
The threat has divided the GOP and top officials within the West Wing, with House Speaker Paul Ryan attempting to talk the president out of it.
Cohn thought the levies might kill jobs and thwart continued economic progress.
Trump, the paper reported, had tried to sound Cohn out on replacing Chief of Staff John Kelly, who has lately fallen out of favor with the president and different members of the first family.
Last week, Kelly downgraded the security clearance of Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, reportedly angering Trump’s daughter Ivanka.
Who fired him?