White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn resigns
Cohn joins a growing list of senior figures leaving the Trump administration

Donald Trump’s top economics adviser, Gary Cohn, is resigning from his position, according to a statement from the White House.
The BBC says there has been “speculation” that Cohn, known for his pro-free trade views, was “angered” by last week’s announcement of Trump’s plan to implement import tariffs on steel and aluminium.
Cohn’s resignation sent tremors through both Washington and Wall Street, where many had believed the former Goldman Sachs chief operating officer was a steadying economic influence in the White House.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
CNN reports that Cohn’s relationship with Trump had been “tenuous since last summer”, after Cohn publicly rebuked the President over his remarks about a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Cohn’s departure leaves the door open for Trump to appoint an economics adviser more closely aligned with his economic nationalist and protectionist agenda.
Such a move is likely to widen existing divides between Trump and Republican leaders in Congress, who have publicly stated their fierce opposition to the introduction of tariffs.
In a statement, Trump said Cohn “did a superb job in driving our agenda”, most notably the recent tax cuts, and described Cohn as a “rare talent.”
Cohn joins a growing list of senior figures who have departed recently from the Trump administration, including communications director Hope Hicks who quit last week, as well as White House staff secretary Rob Porter and Director of communications Omarosa Manigault-Newman who also left this year.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Things in Nature Merely Grow: memoir of 'harsh beauty' after loss
The Week Recommends Chinese-American novelist Yiyun Li's 'devastating' memoir explores the deaths of her two sons
-
Sirens: entertaining satire on the lives of the ultra-wealthy stars Julianne Moore
The Week Recommends This 'blackly comic affair' unfurls at a 'breakneck speed'
-
How will the MoD's new cyber command unit work?
Today's Big Question Defence secretary outlines plans to combat 'intensifying' threat of cyberattacks from hostile states such as Russia
-
Trump drops ceasefire demand after Putin call
speed read Following a phone call with Russia's president, Trump backed off an earlier demand that Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
On VE Day, is Europe alone once again?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's rebranding of commemoration as 'Victory Day for World War Two' underlines breakdown of post-war transatlantic alliance
-
US, Ukraine sign joint minerals deal
speed read The Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine giving the US access to its mineral wealth
-
Ukraine-US minerals deal: is Trump turning away from Putin?
Today's Big Question US shows 'exasperation' with Russia and signs agreement with Ukraine in what could be a significant shift in the search for peace
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations