Gary Cohn says he has "a great relationship" with Trump
President Trump's chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn sidestepped a question about whether his relationship with the president was deteriorating, after an interview with the Financial Times in which he had expressed his dismay over the racially motivated violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"I have a great relationship with the president," he told CNBC, adding that he and Mr. Trump have been spending an "enormous amount of time" working on taxes together.
In the Financial Times interview, Cohn had revealed that he had faced great pressure to leave the White House, given Mr. Trump's suggestion that the blame for the violence lay on "both sides," equating the actions of white supremacists and counter-protesters.
The Washington Post reported Thursday that the president was unhappy with Cohn over the public airing of his views in the Financial Times after he had spoken with Mr. Trump about his concerns privately.
But Cohn told CNBC that he was going to be spending more time with the president next week, travelling with him to sell the tax overhaul. The two work together on the big economic issues, Cohn asserted. "That's what he cares about. That's what I care about."
For months, Cohn has been working on legislation important to the president - changing the tax code. He told CNBC that he's feeling optimistic about getting tax reform passed -- "we have a more than reasonable shot," he said. Cohn argued that simplifying the tax system would enable the U.S. to be more competitive and grow wages.
As for the charge that the tax overhaul would help higher earners more than the middle class, Cohn countered that simplifying the tax code would, in fact, reduce taxes on middle-income earners and raise taxes on higher earners. He said that along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the president and congressional leadership, they have all agreed on a "skeleton." The tax-writing committees in the House and Senate are expected to flesh out the plan further.