Will Trump’s ‘Job-Killing’ Steel Tariffs Push Gary Cohn Out Of The White House?
Gary Cohn. Image by Getty Images
President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports puts his top economic adviser, Gary Cohn, who opposed the tariffs, in a difficult position. Cohn is rumored to have been mulling resigning for some time, but stayed to stop Trump from imposing high tariffs.
Politico reports that Cohn had been lobbying Trump for months to stop him from implementing tariffs.
On Thursday, Trump announced plans for a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports.
The move drew howls of outrage from pro-business Republicans, who branded it a “job-killer,” along with consumer advocates and close allies like Canada. It also sparked a fresh nosedive on Wall Street, especially after Treump tweeted that a trade war would be “good.”
After the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last summer, Cohn was critical of Trump, and was reported to have considered resigning, but stayed to push through the recent tax reform bill, according to Politico.
The tariff announcement ended weeks of heavy debate over the policy, which pitted Cohn against White House trade advisor who favors the tariffs.
If Cohn departs, it would weaken the moderate influence in the White House, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Cohn, a Democrat, has long been a target of Conservative influences in the White House, who reportedly opposed proposals that Cohn become chief of staff.
Contact Avichai Scher at [email protected] or on Twitter, @avi_scher
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
