Both the White House and National Economic Council (NEC) Director Kevin Hassett are pushing back forcefully against media rumors claiming President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser is preparing to step down following the November midterm elections.
After Semafor and other outlets circulated reports on Friday suggesting Hassett was exploring private-sector roles — and floating Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent or Treasury counselor David Zervos as potential replacements — Hassett directly shot down the story as “not true.”
‘Kevin Hassett Is A Key Member Of President Trump’s Economic Team’
In a direct text message to CNBC on Friday afternoon, Hassett dismissed the departure claims outright. Shortly thereafter, a senior White House official went on the record to rebuke the media narrative and reaffirm Hassett’s standing in the administration.
“There is no factual basis for this reporting. Kevin Hassett is a key member of President Trump’s economic team and will continue working to advance President Trump’s economic policies.”
— White House Official Statement
Defending the America First Economic Agenda
A veteran conservative economist who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s first term before returning to lead the NEC in January 2025, Hassett has served as one of the administration’s most articulate defenders of domestic manufacturing, deregulation, and pro-growth tax policy.
Despite inflationary pressures and global supply chain disruptions tied to Middle East hostilities, Hassett has repeatedly pointed to surging domestic factory construction and capital investment as the bedrock of long-term American job creation.
Media Speculation Follows Chief of Staff Transition
The reporting regarding Hassett follow genuine leadership adjustments inside the West Wing after Stephen Miller replaced Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff on Nov. 9, alongside the transition of Cabinet Secretary Meghan Bauer and Deputy Chief of Staff Richard Walters.
While political commentators have speculated that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — already leading the administration’s economic pressure campaign against Iran — could take on expanded coordination duties if a vacancy ever arose, both Hassett and the White House made clear on Friday that no such transition is underway.
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