Hassett expected to depart White House
Trump’s top economic adviser has served in his role since the start of the president’s second term.
Kevin Hassett, the National Economic Council Director, is anticipated to leave his position at the White House in the forthcoming weeks, according to three sources familiar with his plans, as reported by Semafor. This move comes after Hassett had been exploring opportunities outside the administration since before the midterm elections earlier this month, sources indicated.
Candidates to succeed Hassett include Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his counselor, David Zervos. However, the White House and Treasury Department have not officially announced these plans, leaving the possibility of a change open, as is common in the Trump administration. Trump appointed Hassett to serve as his top economic adviser again a couple of years ago, and he has been a frequent spokesperson for various economic issues, ranging from the economic consequences of the Iran War to his opposition against former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
One of Hassett's significant achievements during his tenure was the advancement of an executive order signed by the president in February. This order aimed to broaden access to retirement plans for workers who do not receive one from their employers. Despite Hassett's long-standing support for recreating the government's Thrift Savings Plan for private-sector workers, the order took a less ambitious path, establishing a platform where workers could evaluate existing plans.
Although the departure of Hassett is not directly linked to the Republicans' underwhelming performance in the midterm elections, it follows a series of staffing changes within the Trump administration in recent weeks. Hassett's deputy, Ryan Baasch, resigned at the end of September, and recently, Trump replaced his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, with Stephen Miller, known for his role in implementing the administration's stringent immigration policies.
Recent reports suggest further staffing changes and departures are expected as the year nears its end. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is currently under scrutiny for his management of export controls on AI chips.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
