Shahira Knight

Deputy director for economic policy, National Economic Council

Shahira Knight, the 47-year-old deputy director of President Donald Trump’s National Economic Council, may soon be the most sought after hire in Washington — or any other global power center, for that matter.

Knight was at the center of Trump’s biggest legislative accomplishment, a once-in-a-generation rewrite of the tax code that slashed rates for businesses and temporarily lowered the tax burden for many wealthy and middle-class families. It was a long sought-after GOP goal, and arguably the biggest legislative achievement of any Republican president since Ronald Reagan’s own sprawling tax reform.

As special assistant to the president for tax and retirement policy, Knight served as the bridge between the White House and Capitol Hill, a trusted lieutenant to former economic adviser Gary Cohn and an honest broker on Capitol Hill who commanded the respect of members and staffers alike.

“If anyone called me and said they needed to start a Washington office tomorrow and they were really serious, I’d say go talk to Shahira Knight,” Cohn told Playbook. “She’s a rock star.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) described her in a statement to Playbook as “smart as a whip” and said her “in-depth policy knowledge coupled with her keen political insight proved to be an invaluable asset during the tax reform debate.” House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) hailed her as “extremely knowledgeable about tax policy, the players, and the politics on the Hill.”

Indeed, Trump would’ve been hard-pressed to find someone better equipped to help craft his top domestic priority. Knight, a graduate of the University of Virginia with an M.A. in economics from George Mason University, had previously worked on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Joint Economic Committee. On Ways and Means, she had served as a senior adviser to Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.), who led the committee through the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts.

The White House declined to make Knight available for an interview.

After her time on the Hill, Knight worked as a lobbyist for the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association before joining Fidelity Investments, where she was vice president of the public affairs and policy group.

Her return to government under Trump was an occasion for celebration on Capitol Hill.

“She was the one person in the White House — really in the whole executive branch — who had done tax reform,” Cohn said, referring to the 2001 and 2003 cuts. “She was really a guiding light.”

Cohn credited Knight, who was a contender to replace him atop the NEC, specifically with driving reforms on the personal side of the tax cuts.

Recently promoted to deputy director on the economic council, Knight may soon be leaving the White House, Playbook reported earlier this month.

She’s unlikely to have much trouble finding a job should she depart.

“She’s got an unbelievable future wherever she goes,” Cohn said. “This is one of the most talented people I’ve been around.”

He added: “She’s as good as they get.” — Matthew Nussbaum

Headshot courtesy The White House. Story photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.

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