Christopher Phelan

Christopher Phelan
33rd Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
Assumed office
August 10, 2026
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byStephen Miran
Vice Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
In office
July 6, 2026 – August 7, 2026
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byPierre Yared
Succeeded byTBD
Personal details
Born
Christopher James Phelan

February 1963 (age 63)
EducationDuke University (BA)
University of Chicago (MA, PhD)

Christopher James Phelan (born February 1963) is an American economist, academic, and politician who has been the 33rd Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers since 2026. He was a professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Minnesota. He was department chair from 2012 to 2021.

Early life

Phelan was born in February 1963. He received a bachelor of arts in economics and computer science from Duke University. He earned a master of arts in economics and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.

Economics career

Phelan worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. He is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and elected fellow of the Econometric Society and the Society of the Advancement of Economic Theory.

CEA Chair

On April 21, 2026, Phelan was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). His nomination was sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. His confirmation hearing was held on June 25, 2026, and voted to advance his nomination on July 23, 2026.

Phelan was Vice Chairman of the Council from July 2026 until he was confirmed by the United States Senate for chairmanship on August 7, 2026.

References

  1. 1 2 "Christopher Phelan Nominated to be Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers". College of Liberal Arts. 2026-04-21. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  2. ↑ "Trump picks a University of Minnesota professor to lead his economic council". AP News. 2026-04-21. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  3. ↑ "Christopher James Phelan in the U.S., Index to Public Records, 1994-2019". Index to Public Records. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ↑ "Nomination Hearing | United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs". www.banking.senate.gov. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  5. 1 2 "Trump picks University of Minnesota professor to lead his economic council". Archived from the original on 2026-05-20. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  6. ↑ "Christopher Phelan". NBER. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  7. ↑ "Current Fellows". www.econometricsociety.org. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  8. ↑ "Economic Theory Fellows – SAET". Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  9. ↑ Nominations & Appointments (2026-04-21). "Nominations Sent to the Senate". The White House. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  10. ↑ Rego, Max (2026-07-23). "Senate panel vote on Trump nominees derailed after Warren raises background check concerns". The Hill (newspaper).
  11. ↑ Lukpat, Alyssa; Grossman, Matt (2026-07-01). "Council of Economic Advisers Acting Chair to Step Down". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  12. ↑ "Council of Economic Advisers". The White House. 2026-07-15. Retrieved 2026-07-25.
  13. ↑ Prakash, Maya (2026-08-07). "Phelan Confirmed to Lead Trump's Council of Economic Advisers". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2026-08-14.