Talk of Lighthizer return to USTR ‘complete bulls–t,’ says one insider

Not even a week has passed from the election and confusion is already swirling about who will run President-elect Donald Trump’s trade policy as head of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

On Friday, the Financial Times reported that Trump had asked former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to return to lead the agency, which is a Cabinet-level position in the Executive office of the President and is responsible for much White House’s trade policy. But one source familiar with the issue, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal personnel discussions, says that’s “totally untrue” and that no conversation like that has occurred.

For months, Lighthizer has had a leading role in economic policy preparations, working as an informal adviser to the transition on how the incoming administration will apply its tariff agenda. Though that work continues, any reports of a conversation with Trump about him returning to USTR are “all complete bullshit,” the person said.

The prospect of Lighthizer returning as Trump’s trade chief chastened allies in the hours since the report was published, and even appeared to push down the value of the Mexican Peso. But Lighthizer is also in the running for higher-profiles slots than USTR, like Commerce secretary, a White House economic adviser or Treasury secretary.