Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said under ‘no circumstances’ was he going to resign after President Trump’s comments about a white supremacist rally – after leading economic advisor Gary Cohn cited ‘pressure’ to quit.
Both Mnuchin and Cohn are Jewish, but are taking different approaches to Trump’s comments following the violence in Charlottesville.
‘I think there’s no question that the president was not equating the hate groups with the people who were peacefully ah [protesting] and under no circumstances was I going to resign,’ said Mnuchin, asked about Cohn’s statement that he felt ‘pressure’ to quit.
‘Gary and I have known each other for 20 years. I can tell you I’m speaking to him every day. His Numer One focus is absolutely working on tax reform with me and getting tax reform done,’ said Mnuchin.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin speaks during a news briefing at the White House in Washington
‘Gary’s committed to be here and couldn’t be more excited about that,’ he said, before quickly moving on to other questions at the White House press briefing.
Mnuchin cited his own prior statement following Trump’s response to Charlottesville.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dodged questions about whether Trump spoke to Cohn about his concerns, even after Cohn spoke about his ‘distress.’
‘The president’s in regular contact with Gary,’ Sanders said, saying the president had been ‘very outspoken in his condemnation of racism of bigotry of hate of all forms.’
But she allowed, generically, ‘There’s always more that we can do.’
Director of the White House National Economic Council Gary Cohn had harsh words for President Trump in an interview with the Financial Times
But she allowed: ‘Gary has not held back how he feels about this situation he’s been very open and honest and so I don’t think that anybody was surprised by the comments.’
Sanders also maintained – contrary to the news judgement of news organizations – his comments rebuking his own president were only a ‘small part’ of the interview. He is the most senior member of the administration to criticize it for comments about antisemitism, the KKK, neo-Nazis, and White Supremacists.
‘Look, I think everybody wants to focus on a really small part of that interview. Ninety-five percent of that interview was on tax reform. And we’re looking at a very small portion of it,’ Sanders said.
CATEGORY 3: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to minimizing the continuing storm over Trump’s comments, saying: ‘Ninety-five percent of that interview was on tax reform’
Top Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn delivered a searing denunciation of the president’s comments on Charlottesville, saying he considered quitting and that pro-equality protesters can ‘never’ be equated to the KKK and hate groups.
‘Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK,’ Cohn said in an interview with the Financial Times nearly two weeks after Trump’s comments.
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster listens at left as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks during the news briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017
‘As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting ‘Jews will not replace us’ to cause this Jew to leave his job. I feel empathy for all who have been targeted by these hate groups. We must all unite together against them,’ said Cohn.
Cohn’s comments were a direct rebuke of President Trump’s own statements, which blamed ‘both sides’ after violent clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters.
Cohn acknowledged coming under ‘pressure’ to quit – and hinted at his own inner turmoil over the subject, saying he was ‘reluctant’ to leave his critical post – following a series of hasty departures of top aides.
The New York Times reported that in the days following the rally, family members including his wife told him he should consider quitting. Business colleagues of the former Goldman Sachs chief also counseled him to bolt.
‘This administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities,’ Cohn said in the interview.
He said he made his comments in order ‘to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks.’
Cohn said he considered it his duty to speak out.
After earlier rumors that he was, financial markets dropped.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Cohn was said to be ‘furious’ by Trump’s performance at a press conference where he said there was blamed on ‘both sides’ – while flanked by his Jewish Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Cohn, and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao
THIS IS GETTING AWKWARD: Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin look on as US President Donald Trump delivers remarks following a meeting on infrastructure at Trump Tower, August 15, 2017 in New York City. He fielded questions from reporters about his comments on the events in Charlottesville, Virginia and white supremacists
‘I have come under enormous pressure both to resign and to remain in my current position. As a patriotic American, I am reluctant to leave my post as director of the National Economic Council because I feel a duty to fulfill my commitment to work on behalf of the American people. But I also feel compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks,’ he said.
The New York Times reported after Trump’s Tuesday press conference that Cohn was ”upset’ and ‘disgusted’ by the president’s performance. He had been standing alongside Trump, as was Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. It was supposed to be about infrastructure.
Axios reported that he was between ‘appalled and furious.’
Demonstrators carry confederate and Nazi flags during the Unite the Right free speech rally at Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA on August 12, 2017
Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists take part a the night before the ‘Unite the Right’ rally in Charlottesville, VA, white supremacists march with tiki torchs through the University of Virginia campus
White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the “alt-right” exchange insluts with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Emancipation Park during the “Unite the Right” rally August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. After clashes with anti-fascist protesters and police the rally was declared an unlawful gathering and people were forced out of Emancipation Park, where a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee is slated to be removed
Trump commented on the violence in Charlottesville from his Bedminister golf club after a 32-year-old woman was killed by a moving car.
‘We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides. On many sides,’ Trump said Saturday August 12. ‘It’s been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama, this has been going on for a long, long time.’
It was not until the following Monday after enduring a rash of criticism and after an unnamed aide put out other statements that Trump said: ‘Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.’
IRREPLACEABLE: Cohn said he felt pressure to step down but was ‘reluctant’ to quit
Then at a Tuesday press conference, Trump said: ‘I think there is blame on both sides.’ He added: ‘You had a group on the other side that was bad. You had a group on the other side that was very violent. Nobody wants to say that. I’ll say it right now.’
Cohn said his decision to stay was not influenced by the departure of Stephen Bannon, a favorite among nationalists.
‘No, my decisions are my decisions. I have to do what is best for me and my family. I have had numerous private conversations with the president on this topic – I have not been bashful saying what I think,’ Cohn said.