Experts, Journalists Slam Trump’s All-Male Economic Advisory Council

Written by Craig Harrington

Published

Journalists and economic experts ridiculed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s 13-person economic advisory team, which was comprised entirely of white men and featured only two individuals with more than an undergraduate background in economics. Trump released the list in anticipation of a policy speech to be delivered at the Detroit Economic Club on August 8.

Trump Campaign Announces “Economic Advisory Council”

Trump Campaign Releases “Economic Advisory Council” That Is Short On Economists. According to a document released by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign on August 5, the candidate has created a 13-man “economic advisory council” to guide and craft policy decisions. The list features nine CEOs -- Tom Barrack, Andy Beal, Stephen Calk, Dan DiMicco, Steven Feinberg, Howard Lorber, Steven Mnuchin, John Paulson, and Steven Roth -- two GOP policy professionals -- Dan Kowalski and David Malpass -- and just two economists -- Stephen Moore and Peter Navarro. The team will be lead by Trump policy director Stephen Miller. [DonaldJTrump.com, accessed 8/5/16]

Experts, Journalists, And Media Outlets Highlight Council’s Lack Of Diversity And Expertise

Politico: Trump Unveils “All-Male Economic Advisory Team.” Politico reporter Nick Gass was the first to note Trump’s “all-male economic advisory team” in an August 5 article. Gass reported that the campaign claimed “more names will be added at a later date,” but currently Trump was being advised exclusively by men, “including several prominent real-estate investors, hedge-fund managers and bankers” whom the campaign described as “formidable and talented individuals.” [Politico, 8/5/16]

Wash. Post: “Six Men Named Steve But No Women.” Washington Post reporters Jim Tankersley and Jose DelReal pointed out that, despite dedicating nearly half of his inner circle to “men named Steve,” Trump’s advisory team is “heavy on investing and corporate experience but includes no women.” The article went on to describe how discussion of Trump’s lack of qualification for the presidency has become a major feature on the campaign since he formally accepted the Republican nomination, and concluded by noting how much more diverse and inclusive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s economic advisory team is:

Clinton's economic advisers include several longtime Democratic policy hands, such as former Bill Clinton and Barack Obama adviser Gene Sperling, and several women, including Ann O'Leary, Maya Harris, Neera Tanden, Heather Boushey and Laura D'Andrea Tyson. [The Washington Post, 8/5/16]

ThinkProgress: Trump Team Is “A Collection Of 13 White Men.” ThinkProgress detailed the background of Trump’s “collection of 13 white men,” including numerous controversial business dealings and long track records of “wildly inaccurate” economic predictions. The article concluded by highlighting how the lack of women on the advisory council seems to undermine the candidate’s claims that he is “very, very good for women” and “way ahead of the curve” on women in the workplace. [ThinkProgress, 8/5/16]

Newsweek: “11 Businessmen, One Economist, Zero Women.” A Newsweek article on Trump’s economic team slammed the candidate for surrounding himself with “11 businessmen, one economist, [and] zero women,” arguing that the lack of diversity was “perhaps not surprising, given his business background.” Newsweek went on to note that “The bulk of the advisory team is millionaire and billionaire investors” and that it features just one individual with a Ph.D. in economics: Peter Navarro. [Newsweek, 8/5/16]

Dallas Morning News: “No Women” On Trump’s “Roster Of Wall Street And Real Estate Executives.” Dallas Morning News correspondent Katie Leslie also highlighted that “No women were named to Trump’s 13-member business advisory team,” which she described as a “roster of Wall Street and real estate executives.” The article reported that Trump’s team included “five men named Steve,” perhaps neglecting to include Trump policy director Miller. [Dallas Morning News, 8/5/16]

The Hill: “Trump Announces All-Male Economic Team.” The Hill reported on August 5 that the Trump campaign claimed it was working with “the top economists in the country” despite catching “flack for not having any women or many economists” on its list of economic advisors. [The Hill, 8/5/16]

ThinkProgress’ Judd Legum: “Trump's New 13 Person Economic Advisory Council Includes No Women.” ThinkProgress editor Judd Legum slammed Trump’s decision not to include any women on his policy team on Twitter;

Justin Wolfers: “Of The 13 Members Of Trump's Economic Advisory Council, Only Two Have Studied Economics Beyond An Undergraduate Level.” University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers, whose spouse Betsey Stevenson served as the chief economist at the Department of Labor and was a member of President Obama’s formal Council of Economic Advisors, also slammed the Trump team’s lack of diversity and expertise on Twitter:

Bloomberg’s Jennifer Epstein: “There Are 13 People On Donald Trump's New Economic Advisory Council. All 13 Are Men.” Bloomberg Politics correspondent Jennifer Epstein also highlighted the Trump campaign’s lack of diversity on Twitter: