Top aide breaks ranks with Trump on neo-Nazis

Donald Trump's top economic advisor criticized his failure to unequivocally condemn neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, breaking ranks with the president and exposing deep unease inside the White House on Friday.

Gary Cohn -- head of the White House national economic council and one of the most prominent Jewish-Americans in Trump's administration -- went public with his displeasure over the president's response to recent deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"This administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities," Cohn told the Financial Times, without specifically naming Trump.

Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive tipped as a possible future chairman of the Federal Reserve, said he faced "tremendous pressure" to quit after the president appeared to draw moral equivalence between white nationalist demonstrators and anti-racism counter-protesters.

One woman was killed when an avowed white supremacist plowed his car into a crowd of people after the Charlottesville rally turned violent, and numerous demonstrators were injured during the events of August 11 and 12.

Trump drew widespread condemnation when he suggested there was blame "on both sides," and that there were "very fine people" among the white supremacist protesters -- who were opposing the removal of a statue honoring secessionist Civil War general Robert E. Lee.

Cohn told the FT that "citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK."

Having faced calls to quit, Cohn said he decided he could be more effective by remaining in the administration and would not be pushed out.

"I have come under enormous pressure both to resign and to remain in my current position," the former banker told the British daily.

"As a patriotic American, I am reluctant to leave my post... because I feel a duty to fulfill my commitment to work on behalf of the American people," Cohn said.

"As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting 'Jews will not replace us' to cause this Jew to leave his job," he added.

- Pivotal to tax reform -

Cohn is a crucial link between the White House and Wall Street, which has generally welcomed Trump's presidency.

Trump's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, has also criticized the president's response saying it "wasn't fine."

But another Jewish-American in the administration, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin -- who also faced calls to quit in the aftermath of Charlottesville -- has staunchly defended Trump.

"The president in no way, shape or form, believes that neo-Nazi and other hate groups who endorse violence are equivalent to groups that demonstrate in peaceful and lawful ways," Mnuchin said in written comments last week.

Cohn's remarks are a rare on-the-record display of unease inside the West Wing and come just as the administration plans to roll out plans for tax reform.

In his comments to the FT, Cohn said Trump would launch a major push to overhaul the tax system with a speech in Missouri next week, with the aim of driving the measures through Congress by the end of the year.

"Starting next week, the president's agenda and calendar is going to revolve around tax reform," he said.

Cohn indicated that the White House has not nailed down a detailed plan, and in particular would not say if the White House would seek a corporate tax rate of 15 per cent -- which Trump had previously insisted on.

Cohn is a pivotal figure in the tax reform effort, which is seen as offering Trump his best chance of reviving a stalled legislative agenda further put in doubt by the president's frequent spats with Republicans.

On Friday the president trained his sights on one-time vice-presidential possible Senator Bob Corker, who questioned the president's fitness for office.

"Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy!" Trump said.

Failure to pass at least a tax cut -- if not broader tax reform -- would test Trump's relationship with mainstream Republicans and influential donors to breaking point.

Source: AFP