President Donald Trump strongly defended his selection of wealthy former executives to keys posts and said he just doesn't want a poor person running the economy.
"I love all people — rich or poor — but in those particular positions, I just don't want a poor person," he said at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "Does that make sense? If you insist, I'll do it — but I like it better this way."
CNN noted Trump named billionaire Wilbur Ross as commerce secretary and former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin was named Treasury secretary
"Somebody said, 'Why'd you appoint a rich person to be in charge of the economy?'" said Trump. "I said, 'Because that's the kind of thinking we want.'"
And he added: "They're representing the country. They don't want the money. They're representing the country. They had to give up a lot to take these jobs. They gave up a lot."
He noted chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs president, was at the rally with him.
"When you get the president of Goldman Sachs, smart," Trump said. "Having him represent us, he went from massive paydays to peanuts."
Newsweek reported Cohn left Goldman Sachs with a $285 million payout.
His net worth is at least $600 million, according to financial disclosure forms, the magazine reported.
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