Robert Lighthizer: Who is Robert Lighthizer, whom Trump appointed as US trade chief?

by Junna Base November 8, 2024

Trump has asked Robert Lighthizer to resume his role as trade chief, which he held during the previous Trump administration.

After his first surprise announcement of Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, Donald Trump has now asked his former trade representative Robert Lighthizer to take his job back. The Financial Times reported the news, citing several people familiar with discussions within Trump’s transition team. According to the report, Lighthizer has expressed interest in serving as Treasury Secretary, but that position would likely go to a financier such as hedge fund managers Scott Bessent and John Paulson.

5 Things You Should Know About Robert Lighthizer

Lightizer, 77, is an arch-protectionist, and his ascension to this trade role will make China nervous, given how closely Lightizer and Trump are aligned on trade policy. Trump has promised to impose high tariffs on all imports into the US.
Trump and Lighthizer have always had a good relationship and Lightizer did not suffer Trump’s wrath during his first presidency.
Lighthizer spent three decades as a lawyer at the Wall Street law firm Skadden Arps, where he fought imports from China on behalf of the U.S. steel industry. In the early 2000s, he helped persuade George W. Bush’s administration to impose tariffs on steel imports to protect U.S. industries.
Liughthizer, a former lawyer for the U.S. steel industry, was known for his frequent clashes with the World Trade Organization during his previous administration.
Lighthizer is widely respected for his experience in his field and is referred to as “the adult in the room.”

The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Trump to Lightizer, FT added.
Trump wants to kick his first term’s aggressive trade agenda into high gear with blanket 10% tariffs on imported goods and even higher levies on imports from China and elsewhere. If they were to come into force, they would drive up consumer prices. China’s top envoy to the United States warned Thursday that there are no winners in tariff or trade wars, or wars over science, technology or industry.

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