Trump Nominates Minneapolis Fed Advisor as New Economic Aide

Christopher Phelan Nominated as Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
Phelan, Advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Tapped for the Role
Interim Leadership Continues Following Stephen Miran's Resignation

U.S. President Donald Trump nominated Christopher Phelan, advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, as the new chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) on the 21st (local time). The CEA serves as the economic think tank within the White House.

The White House on the 20th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

On this day, President Trump released the nomination proposal for Phelan as CEA chair on the White House website, which was also sent to the U.S. Senate. The nominee for CEA chair must receive Senate confirmation to officially assume the position.

This position has been vacant since former CEA chair Stephen Miran, who was appointed as a Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor, officially resigned in February this year. Pierre Yared, vice chair of the CEA, has been serving as acting chair of the committee.

Phelan, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Minnesota. Before that, he worked for seven years as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

Previously, Politico, a U.S. political media outlet that reported on April 8 about the possibility of Phelan's nomination as CEA chair, pointed out that the CEA faces numerous challenges. The report explained that this nomination comes at a time when President Trump's approval rating on economic issues has fallen to its lowest level, and the situation has been exacerbated by rising oil prices due to the war in the Middle East. These factors are cited as major burdens. The Trump Administration is also reviewing policies and messaging aimed at easing concerns among voters about the cost of living.

Meanwhile, President Trump also sent a nomination proposal to the Senate on the same day for Erica Schwartz, former Deputy Surgeon General, as the new Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), among other appointments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.