Kevin Hassett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin Hassett
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| Director of the National Economic Council | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Lael Brainard |
| Senior Advisor to the President for Economic Issues | |
| In office April 15, 2020 – July 1, 2020 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| 29th Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers | |
| In office September 13, 2017 – June 28, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Jason Furman |
| Succeeded by | Tomas J. Philipson (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kevin Allen Hassett
March 20, 1962 Greenfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kristie |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Swarthmore College (BA) University of Pennsylvania (MA, PhD) |
Kevin Allen Hassett (born March 20, 1962) is an American economist. He is known for his work advising presidents on economic matters. Since 2025, he has been the Director of the National Economic Council. This council helps the President make economic decisions.
Before this, he was a senior advisor and chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers from 2017 to 2019. He also co-wrote a book called Dow 36,000 in 1999. This book predicted a huge rise in the stock market. However, soon after it was published, the stock market actually went down. The Dow Jones Industrial Average did not reach 36,000 until much later, in 2021.
Hassett has worked at the American Enterprise Institute. This is a conservative think tank, which is a group that does research and suggests policies. He has also advised several presidential campaigns. These include those of John McCain, George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney.
In the Trump administration, Hassett led the Council of Economic Advisers. He returned to the White House in 2020. He helped the administration respond to the coronavirus pandemic from an economic point of view. On November 26, 2024, Donald Trump announced Hassett would lead the National Economic Council.
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Early Life and Education
Kevin Hassett grew up in Greenfield, Massachusetts. He went to Greenfield High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Swarthmore College. Later, he received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Career in Economics
Hassett started his career as a professor. He taught economics at Columbia Business School from 1989 to 1994. He also worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. This is a key part of the U.S. central bank. From 1992 to 1997, he worked there. He also advised the United States Treasury Department.
Work at American Enterprise Institute
In 1997, Hassett joined the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). At AEI, he studied important economic topics. These included tax policy, government spending, and energy issues. He also wrote about investing in the stock market.
He published many articles and papers. These covered topics like how taxes affect businesses and wages. He also wrote columns for major newspapers. These included The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
The Dow 36,000 Book
Hassett co-authored Dow 36,000: The New Strategy for Profiting from the Coming Rise in the Stock Market. This book came out in 1999. It suggested that stock prices were much lower than they should be. The authors believed the Dow Jones Industrial Average would reach 36,000 soon.
However, after the book was published, the stock market actually fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average did not reach 36,000 until late 2021. Some experts criticized the book's predictions. They said it had basic errors and that stocks were actually very expensive at the time.
Views on Immigration
Kevin Hassett believes that immigration helps the economy grow. This view is shared by many economists. When he was nominated for a White House role, some groups who oppose immigration were against his nomination.
Leading the Council of Economic Advisers
From September 2017 to June 2019, Hassett was the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. This council gives economic advice to the President.
In 2018, he discussed how U.S. tax laws affected other countries. He made a comment about Ireland's tax system. He said that U.S. tax law was complicated. In June 2019, it was announced that Hassett would leave his role.
Return to the Trump Administration
In March 2020, Hassett returned to the White House. He advised President Trump on economic policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. He focused on the economic effects of the pandemic.
Hassett created a model that predicted a much lower number of coronavirus deaths. This model suggested deaths would drop to almost zero by May 2020. This prediction was different from what public health experts were saying. Many academics and commentators criticized his model. Hassett encouraged the administration to reopen the economy. He believed that most states could reopen by the end of May.
