President Donald Trump snubbed White House economic adviser Gary Cohn on Wednesday during his tax speech.
The president thanked “many distinguished guests” in his administration, including Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon. He also introduced and thanked several members of Congress, as well as the executives from the Loren Cook Company in Missouri where he delivered his speech.
“Anybody I forgot?” Trump asked, before continuing with his speech. Despite traveling with the president to the event, Cohn, the former COO of Goldman Sachs, was not mentioned at any point in the speech, despite his efforts in the White House to promote tax reform.
Trump also welcomed praised and thanked his daughter Ivanka Trump, who was in the audience.
“Before I start, Ivanka Trump, I see my beautiful daughter’s in the audience. Stand up, honey,” Trump said as the audience cheered. “She’s working very hard. I’m very proud of Ivanka.”
Trump’s daughter wants tax code reform to help make it easier for working mothers to pay for childcare.
“It’s very, very important to everybody in this room, but so important to my daughter,” Trump said. “It’s one of her real big beliefs.”
After the speech, White House aides defended Cohn to reporters who noticed the slight.