WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Friday praised economic adviser Kevin Hassett at a White House event and said he may want to keep him in his current role, as the president considers his nominee for the next Federal Reserve chair.
“I see Kevin’s in the audience, and I just want to thank you. You were fantastic on television today. I actually want to keep you where you are, if you want to know the truth,” Trump said.
“Kevin Hassett is so good. I’m saying, ‘Wait a minute, if I move him — these Fed guys, certainly the one we have now, they don’t talk much.’ I would lose you. It’s a serious concern to me,” Trump said at the event.
“You’ve been incredible. We don’t want to him lose him, Susie, but we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump said, referencing his White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Bo Erickson; editing by Susan Heavey)
