Who is Tomas Philipson, Trump's new acting top White House economist?
President Trump on Monday named health economist Tomas Philipson as acting chair of his Council of Economic Advisers, replacing Kevin Hassett, who announced his resignation at the beginning of June.
Philipson, who has served as one of three members of the council since 2017, is a University of Chicago professor, where he teaches health economics, according to his LinkedIn. He previously served as a senior economist at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the George W. Bush administration.
The president nominates the CEA chair, who is then subject to Senate confirmation.
Born and raised in Sweden, Philipson was also a health-care adviser to Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
On Monday, he said he expects continuity at the council, according to The Wall Street Journal: “The role we play here … is to provide the president with objective information about the impact of his policies,” he said. “That isn’t going to change. That’s what Kevin did, and what I’m going to do.”
Hassett has served as the chairman of the council since September 2017.
“I want to thank Kevin for all he has done - he is a true friend!” the president said in a tweet.
In an interview with FOX Business, Hassett said two years was the typical tenure for the council chairman.
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“I think there are a lot of very strong candidates,” he said. “The CEA has a really big strong staff as it is, so I don't think you need to worry that the economic advice is going to go.”