Gary Cohn Said He Will Resign as Trump’s Top Economic Adviser
In a statement, Mr. Cohn said he had been pleased to work on “pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform.” White House officials said
that Mr. Cohn was leaving on cordial terms with the president and that they planned to discuss policy even after his departure.
In several conversations that Mr. Trump had with people on Tuesday, he denounced Mr. Cohn as a “globalist.”
The resignation followed conversations Mr. Cohn held with the president in recent weeks about the
possibility of replacing Mr. Kelly as chief of staff, said people who were briefed on the matter.
It leaves Mr. Trump surrounded primarily by advisers with strong protectionist views who advocate the types of aggressive trade measures, like tariffs,
that Mr. Trump campaigned on but that Mr. Cohn fought inside the White House.
Gary D. Cohn, President Trump’s top economic adviser, said on Tuesday
that he would resign, becoming the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Trump administration.
Gary D. Cohn, President Trump’s top economic adviser, is the most recent high-profile
member of the White House to announce plans to depart the West Wing.
And many officials wonder if Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, will stay now
that he has lost his top-secret security clearance; the departure of Mr. Cohn further shrinks the number of allies Mr. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have in the White House.
Mr. Cohn had warned last week that he might resign if Mr. Trump followed through with the tariffs, which Mr. Cohn had lobbied against internally.