Gary Cohn to resign as Trump’s top economic adviser

“It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people, in particular the passage of historic tax reform,” Cohn said in a statement Tuesday. “I am grateful to the President for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the Administration great success in the future.”

Although White House officials claimed there was no specific reason Cohn is leaving the White House, the decision comes after he had been at odds with President Trump about steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that were announced last week.

There was no hint of animosity in a statement from Trump in which he praised the Cohn’s work during his tenure as his top economic adviser.

“Gary has been my chief economic advisor 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 said in a statement. “He is a rare talent, and I thank him for his dedicated service to the American people.”

Trump also weighed in on the issue on Twitter later Tuesday evening, saying that he would determine who would replace Cohn soon.

Notably, Cohn was not present at Tuesday’s joint news conference at the White House with President Trump and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Cohn, who has been with the Trump administration from the start, is expected to leave his position within the next few weeks, the White House confirmed to the Washington Examiner. The New York Times was the first to report Cohn’s coming departure.

Cohn had previously admitted feeling pressure to resign last August, following Trump’s comments that “both sides” played a role in the the violence that occured in Charlottesville, Va., as white supremacists clashed with counter-protesters at a “Unite the Right” rally. At the time, Cohn, who is Jewish, said that the Trump administration needed to be more vocal about condemning white national groups, after a self-identified neo-Nazi drove a vehicle into a crowd and killed counter-protestor Heather Heyer.

As Trump’s top economic adviser, Cohn helped manage the administration’s successful push for a major overhaul of the tax code. Together with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, he represented the administration in negotiations with Republicans on Capitol Hill regarding a package to lower the corporate tax rate and institute a number of reforms — as well as cut taxes by a projected $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years.

Cohn also served as the public face of the White House in touting the administration’s economic plans and policies on television and in public appearances. After Congress passed the tax bill, he began working toward passing major infrastructure legislation and revising financial regulations.

Although Cohn is a Democrat, he often helped to translate Trump’s preferences into a more business-friendly format. The former banker also frequently was reported to defend more free-market policies, especially relating to international trade, from other, more populist elements within the White House.

Cohn’s departure follows several other departures or soon-to-be resignations of senior White House officials, including that of White House communications director Hope Hicks.