Donald Trump has offered Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn a key economic post, which would add to the administration another veteran of the powerful firm he bashed during his campaign, sources close to Cohn told NBC News.
Cohn, Goldman’s 56-year-old president and chief operating officer, has been offered the directorship of the National Economic Council and assistant to the president for economic policy, the sources said. It is unclear if Cohn will accept the post, but he reportedly had discussions late last month about leaving Goldman.
Cohn has been at Goldman for 25 years and previously worked in commodities. The National Economic Council, which Cohn would lead, is meant to “coordinate policy-making for domestic and international issues, to coordinate economic policy advice for the president, to ensure that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the president’s economic goals, and to monitor implementation of the president’s economic policy agenda,” according to the office’s website.
Trump Treasury secretary pick Steven Mnuchin and senior advisor Steve Bannon also worked at Goldman Sachs, which Trump repeatedly attacked on the campaign trail. He cited Goldman as evidence that corporate and financial interests have influence over politicians and criticized former opponent Sen. Ted Cruz for taking a loan from the firm.
Was there another loan that Ted Cruz FORGOT to file. Goldman Sachs owns him, he will do anything they demand. Not much of a reformer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2016
Trump campaigned on promises to rid the government of influence from the wealthy and powerful. Wall Street, though, has largely cheered Trump’s administration due to promises to roll back financial regulations and cut corporate taxes.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, a former Democratic presidential candidate and fervent Wall Street critic, immediately slammed the Cohn offer.
It’s called a rigged economy and this is how it works. https://t.co/npoLcKQmfJ
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) December 9, 2016
— NBC News’ Stephanie Ruhle contributed to this report
Cohn; the “h” is silent, right?
His annual salary at goldman ballsachs was 22 million dollars. Yet another kosher guy trumpet-blowers can relate to, I am sure.
He’s been with those scumbags since 1990 and obviously had a lot to do with the 2008 crash, but hey, I am sure it’ll work out better this time for US, right? Riiiight…
Amazing how out of all of the people from any of the hundreds of companies in the country that a president could pick that are probably more qualified, he ALWAYS picks someone from Goldman Sachs. What are the odds? Once again, the probability math is impossible. And they say ANYONE can be picked and that the president is not controlled. BULLSHIT!