Federal Reserve board member Stephen Miran has formally resigned from his role as chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, effective immediately, closing a chapter in what he described as the honor of a lifetime serving President Donald Trump.
Miran had been on unpaid leave from his White House position since September, when he joined the Federal Reserve. Although his official term on the Fed board concluded at the end of January, the structure of the position allows him to remain in place until the president nominates a successor. Still, Miran made clear that his continued presence at the Federal Reserve required him to follow through on a commitment he made to the Senate.
In a resignation letter, Miran explained that he had pledged to step down from the Council of Economic Advisers if he remained on the Federal Reserve board beyond January. With that threshold now passed, he said it was essential to honor that promise. For Miran, the decision was framed not as a retreat, but as a matter of principle and integrity.
“While I took an unpaid leave of absence from the Council to come to the Federal Reserve, I promised the Senate that if I should stay on the Board past January, I would formally depart the Council,” Miran wrote. “I believe it is important to stay true to my word while I continue to perform the job at the Federal Reserve to which you and the Senate appointed me.”
He added that stepping away from the White House came with mixed emotions. Describing his time there as deeply meaningful, Miran said leaving the Council and the White House was done with “a heavy yet proud heart,” underscoring his appreciation for the opportunity to serve.
A Harvard-trained Ph.D. economist, Miran played a central role in shaping and defending President Trump’s economic vision. He was widely recognized as a leading advocate for the administration’s trade agenda, bringing academic credentials and policy conviction to an economic strategy that emphasized American interests and challenged long-standing orthodoxies.
The White House echoed that praise following his resignation. Spokesperson Kush Desai said Miran’s work made a lasting impact on the administration’s economic team. According to Desai, Miran’s insights and advocacy consistently advanced the president’s priorities and helped strengthen the White House’s economic policy efforts.
“His brilliant insights and powerful advocacy on behalf of the president made him an enormous asset for the White House,” Desai said, noting that Miran had established himself as a key figure in the administration’s economic leadership.
News of Miran’s resignation was first reported by Barron’s.
For his part, Miran’s departure from the White House appears less about political pressure and more about keeping a clear promise. As he continues his work at the Federal Reserve, his exit from the Council of Economic Advisers closes one chapter of service while reinforcing a message often emphasized by conservatives: accountability and honoring one’s word still matter in public service.
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