White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett addresses reporters during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 22, 2018.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kevin Hassett to lead the National Economic Council, a role that puts him at the center of the administration’s policy discussions, from trade to taxes and deregulation.
The move brings Trump closer to completing his economic team, with the U.S. Trade Representative being the last of the remaining key positions.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social.
Trump also tapped attorney Jamieson Greer as U.S. trade representative on Tuesday.
During Trump’s first administration, Hassett chaired the Council of Economic Advisers for two years, supporting Republicans’ corporate tax cuts and defending Trump’s punitive tariffs.
Hassett, 62, also worked with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on immigration and supported an initiative to end sanctions relief on countries that buy Iranian oil.
The appointment came as Trump renewed his pledge to raise tariffs by another 10% on all Chinese goods entering the US and impose 25% tariffs on all products from Mexico and Canada. Such a step would put an end to a regional free trade agreement.
Trump will be inaugurated as the next US president on January 20. He cited illegal immigration and illegal drug trafficking as reasons for the tariffs.
Hassett previously worked as a fiscal policy scholar at the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute before Trump nominated him for the White House role in 2017.
Late last week, Trump announced his intention to appoint Scott Bessent, founder of hedge fund Key Square Group and a seasoned market professional, as his Treasury secretary.