White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said she is “not closing the door” to Gary Cohn serving the Trump administration in another capacity after resigning as the president’s top economic adviser.
“Certainly they maintain a strong relationship and are going to continue that relationship. … Gary will continue to be an advocate for the president,” Sanders told reporters during Wednesday’s White House press briefing.
When asked whether it was a “yes” that the president is open to Cohn serving in another role, including in the Cabinet, Sanders told reporters she was “not closing the door.”
Cohn intends to resign from his post as director of the National Economic Council in the coming weeks, the White House said Tuesday.
Cohn has gone head-to-head with Trump, most recently over tariffs on steel and aluminum imports the administration announced last week. He also faced pressure to resign last summer, when Trump remarked on the clashes between white nationalist groups and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., saying there were good people on “both sides.”
The president said Tuesday night a decision on who would replace Cohn as his top economic adviser would be coming “soon.” But already, reports indicate conservative economist Larry Kudlow may be on the shortlist.
Sanders said Wednesday she would not “get ahead” of Trump’s announcement.
