President Donald Trump has formally nominated Christopher Phelan of the University of Minnesota to assume the role of chief economic adviser, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Phelan would step into the post left open after Stephen Miran, who had chaired the Council of Economic Advisers, was appointed to the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Miran resigned as CEA chair in February, fulfilling a commitment he had previously made to the Senate.
According to information on his LinkedIn profile, Phelan has been a member of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Economics faculty for nearly 19 years. His professional background includes a period as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Phelan holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.
The White House statement did not provide additional details about a timeline for confirmation or outline any policy priorities associated with the nomination. As with senior executive appointments to the White House economic team, the nomination must be confirmed by the Senate before Phelan can formally assume the duties of the chief economic adviser.
This announcement completes the direct personnel link between the CEA vacancy and Miran’s elevation to the Federal Reserve, as conveyed in the administration’s statement. Beyond the basic biographical and employment details cited above, the public record released with the announcement contains limited information about Phelan’s policy positions or planned agenda in the advisory post.
Background and context
Phelan’s nearly two-decade academic tenure at the University of Minnesota and his prior role at the Minneapolis Fed are the primary professional credentials noted in the White House announcement and his LinkedIn profile. The article’s source material indicates these elements of his resume and the procedural requirement of Senate confirmation, but does not expand on specific policy views, the expected transition timeline, or next steps in the confirmation process.
Summary of developments
- Christopher Phelan has been nominated by President Trump to be chief economic adviser.
- The nomination fills the position vacated when Stephen Miran joined the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.
- Phelan’s credentials include roughly 19 years on the University of Minnesota economics faculty, prior service as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and a PhD from the University of Chicago.
Note: The announcement as reported does not include further details on policy priorities, the confirmation timetable, or sector-specific implications tied to the nomination.