WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump had a laurel and a dig for one of his favorite “globalists” Thursday as he bid his top economic adviser farewell.
Noting that Gary Cohn was attending his last Cabinet meeting before leaving his position, Trump offered: “He’s been terrific. He may be a globalist, but I still like him.”
But Trump also said that Cohn was a “nationalist” in his own way because “he loves our country.”
The words prompted a round of applause, including from Trump, who thanked Cohn for his service.
Trump predicted the former Goldman Sachs executive would eventually return to his administration. But the president couldn’t resist taking a jab at Cohn’s strong opposition to Trump’s plan to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
If Cohn rejoins the administration, Trump said, “I don’t know if I can put him in the same position, though. He’s not quite as strong on those tariffs as we want.”
Trump predicted Cohn was “going to go out and make another couple of hundred million.”
“I have a feeling you’ll be back,” he added.
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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
