Hassett Expected to Leave White House Role, Sources Say; Denied
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett is expected to leave the White House within weeks, according to three people familiar with his plans. The White House says the reporting has no factual basis, and Hassett has reportedly denied it. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is among those eyed to replace him.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett is expected to leave his White House role in the coming weeks, three people familiar with his plans said on November 13, 2026. The White House disputes the account.
Hassett has been asking about jobs outside the administration since well before this month's midterm elections, some of those people said. His plans have not been officially announced.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who could hold both jobs, is among those being considered to replace him. So is Bessent's counselor, David Zervos. The Treasury Department did not comment.
A White House official said "there is no factual basis for this reporting." The official added that "Kevin Hassett is a key member of President [Donald] Trump's economic team and will continue working to advance President Trump's economic policies." Hassett himself has denied the report, saying it is "Not true."
The sources cautioned that, as with much in the Trump administration, plans could still change.
Two years as top economic adviser
Trump tapped Hassett, who served in his first administration, to return as his top economic adviser nearly two years ago. Since then Hassett has been the public face of the White House on issues ranging from the economic fallout of the Iran war to the president's campaign against former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Hassett was also in the running to replace Powell. In February, he saw one of his priorities advance when Trump signed an executive order meant to widen access to retirement plans for workers whose employers do not offer one.
The order followed Hassett's long push to recreate the government's Thrift Savings Plan for private-sector workers. It took a less ambitious route, creating a website where workers can shop existing plans.
Staffing turnover
The sources said Hassett's expected exit is not tied to Republicans' lackluster midterm results. It would still be the latest in a string of staffing changes at the White House in recent weeks.
Hassett's deputy, Ryan Baasch, left at the end of September. More recently, Trump replaced his then-chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller, the architect of the administration's strict immigration policies. Roles under Miller have been shifting.
Multiple people inside and close to the administration expect more departures as the year ends. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is under scrutiny over his handling of export controls on AI chips.
In its statement, the White House pointed to what it called results for families: "Americans have received more than $82 billion in individual tax relief, over 70 million children have been enrolled for a Trump Account, nearly 20 fair trade deals have been secured."
