Hassett denies report he is leaving the White House

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Friday denied a report that he is expected to leave the White House in the coming weeks. He told CNBC's Eamon Javers in a text message that the report is not true ¹. The National Economic Council is the White House team that advises the president on the economy.

The report came from Semafor, a news outlet, earlier Friday. It said Hassett "has been inquiring about roles outside the administration," even before Republicans' losses in the Nov. 3 midterm election ¹. Semafor cited unnamed people familiar with his plans ¹.

Who might replace him

Semafor said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his counselor, David Zervos, are among the names being floated to replace Hassett ¹. Another account of the report said Bessent could hold both jobs ². Zervos declined to comment when CNBC reached him by phone ¹.

Semafor cited three people familiar with the plan, and it said Hassett's plans could change ². None of those sources was named.

From Channel GOPTrump touts strong economy, poll shows otherwiseJen Sullivan · 160 plays · captioned, with the source named

The White House response

A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also pushed back. The official said "There is no factual basis for this reporting" ¹. The official added that Hassett is "a key member of President Trump's economic team" ¹.

The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report, according to one account ². We have not independently confirmed Semafor's reporting. For now, the only on-the-record statement is Hassett's denial.

A week of departures

The denial comes during a wave of exits after Democrats won the Nov. 3 midterm and flipped Congress ¹. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles left her role Friday, and Stephen Miller succeeded her ¹.

Several Justice Department officials have also left since Election Day. They include Harmeet Dhillon, a leader in the department's civil rights division, and John Eisenberg, who headed its national security division ¹.

Hassett is not new to the spotlight. He chaired the White House Council of Economic Advisers in Trump's first term and left in 2019 ². He later returned as a senior adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic ². He was also considered to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but Kevin Warsh got the job ².

That matters because Hassett is a leading voice for the administration on prices and the economy. Voters just delivered a verdict on that economic record. Any change in who speaks for the White House on those issues would be closely watched.

What happens next is unclear. If Hassett stays, the denial settles the question for now. If he leaves, the White House would have to name a successor, and Bessent and Zervos are the names in circulation. Neither has commented on the report.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats won the midterm election and flipped Congress, per CNBC ¹.
2. Nov 13, 2026Semafor reported that Hassett was expected to leave the White House in the coming weeks ¹².
3. Nov 13, 2026Hassett denied the report, and a White House official said there was no factual basis for it ¹.

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<h2>Hassett denies report he is leaving the White House</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files White House Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hassett-denies-report-he-is-leaving-the-white-house">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 13, 2026.</em></p> <p>National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Friday denied a report that he is expected to leave the White House in the coming weeks. He told CNBC&#39;s Eamon Javers in a text message that the report is not true . The National Economic Council is the White House team that advises the president on the economy.</p> <p>The report came from Semafor, a news outlet, earlier Friday. It said Hassett &quot;has been inquiring about roles outside the administration,&quot; even before Republicans&#39; losses in the Nov. 3 midterm election . Semafor cited unnamed people familiar with his plans .</p> <h2>Who might replace him</h2> <p>Semafor said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his counselor, David Zervos, are among the names being floated to replace Hassett . Another account of the report said Bessent could hold both jobs . Zervos declined to comment when CNBC reached him by phone .</p> <p>Semafor cited three people familiar with the plan, and it said Hassett&#39;s plans could change . None of those sources was named.</p> <h2>The White House response</h2> <p>A White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also pushed back. The official said &quot;There is no factual basis for this reporting&quot; . The official added that Hassett is &quot;a key member of President Trump&#39;s economic team&quot; .</p> <p>The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report, according to one account . We have not independently confirmed Semafor&#39;s reporting. For now, the only on-the-record statement is Hassett&#39;s denial.</p> <h2>A week of departures</h2> <p>The denial comes during a wave of exits after Democrats won the Nov. 3 midterm and flipped Congress . White House chief of staff Susie Wiles left her role Friday, and Stephen Miller succeeded her .</p> <p>Several Justice Department officials have also left since Election Day. They include Harmeet Dhillon, a leader in the department&#39;s civil rights division, and John Eisenberg, who headed its national security division .</p> <p>Hassett is not new to the spotlight. He chaired the White House Council of Economic Advisers in Trump&#39;s first term and left in 2019 . He later returned as a senior adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic . He was also considered to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, but Kevin Warsh got the job .</p> <p>That matters because Hassett is a leading voice for the administration on prices and the economy. Voters just delivered a verdict on that economic record. Any change in who speaks for the White House on those issues would be closely watched.</p> <p>What happens next is unclear. If Hassett stays, the denial settles the question for now. If he leaves, the White House would have to name a successor, and Bessent and Zervos are the names in circulation. Neither has commented on the report.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hassett-denies-report-he-is-leaving-the-white-house">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/hassett-denies-report-he-is-leaving-the-white-house.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CNBC, “Hassett denies report he's leaving White House: 'Not true'” (2026-11-13). cnbc.com/2026/11/13/kevin-hassett-white-house-nec.html
2. Yahoo News, “White House denies Hassett departing Trump administration” (2026-11-13). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/hassett-expected-leave-trum

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