In just a few days, President Donald Trump’s administration ushered in one Black woman’s historic achievement while also trying again to remove another from her position.
On Aug. 5, the Senate confirmed Dr. Erica Schwartz, Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CBC), making her the first Black woman to head the agency. Around the same time, the White House renewed its effort to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, who is the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s Board of Governors.
“Governor Lisa Cook is a highly respected economist who has dedicated her career to dismantling barriers to innovation and economic participation,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.) in a 2025 statement. “Since joining the Federal Reserve Board, Dr. Cook has brought invaluable expertise and maintained an independent, principled judgment.”
The moves put two trailblazing Black women in very different positions. Schwartz is moving into a top public health role with Trump’s support, while Cook is fighting to keep her important economic post despite opposition from the administration.
Last week, the White House told Cook it was thinking about removing her and gave her 21 days to answer questions about mortgages on several properties. Cook has not been charged with a crime or found guilty of any wrongdoing, even though these claims first came up a year ago.
This is the second time the administration has tried to remove Cook.
President Trump purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so. I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022.”
Trump tried to fire her last August, which led to a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court. In June, the court ruled 5-4 that Cook should have had a formal opportunity to defend herself and that she should be allowed to stay on the board, where her term lasts until 2038.
Cook’s lawyers, Abbe Lowell and Norm Eisen, said this renewed effort is another example of Trump trying to interfere with the Federal Reserve’s independence.
“These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve,” they said.
They said there is still “no valid cause for removing Governor Cook” and promised to fight the administration’s actions again.
The Trump Administration vs. Cook
Federal Reserve governors help decide interest rates and other policies that affect mortgages, credit cards, car loans, jobs, and borrowing costs across the economy. Federal law also makes it hard for a president to remove a sitting Fed governor.
The Federal Reserve Act says governors can be removed only “for cause,” which is meant to keep monetary policy independent of the president. When the Supreme Court looked at Cook’s case, it did not clearly define what counts as “cause.”
The White House claims the mortgage allegations might meet that standard.
In a recent letter, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Dan Scavino wrote that Cook’s actions “may be sufficient to demonstrate that you committed a crime.” He also claimed that obtaining mortgages on properties listed as primary residences may have enabled her to secure better loan terms.
Cook has said before that the differences were just clerical mistakes.
On Monday, White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett took a more cautious approach, saying he hoped Cook was right about her innocence. He called the issue “a law enforcement matter” and would not discuss the details. He also said he would not take Cook’s job if she were removed.
The administration’s effort to remove Cook comes as Trump continues to push for greater control over the Federal Reserve, which usually operates independently of the White House. Trump has often called for lower interest rates and blamed Fed officials for slowing economic growth. If Cook is removed, Trump could nominate someone else to replace her, but the Senate would have to confirm the nominee.
Cook’s career began long before the current political controversy.
Cook is an economist who has studied economic growth, innovation, financial institutions, and economic history. She has worked at Michigan State University, Harvard, and Stanford. She earned her PhD in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, after becoming the first Marshall Scholar from Spelman College and studying at Oxford.
She also worked for the White House Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration and held visiting roles at several Federal Reserve banks, including those in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Philadelphia.
As Cook gets ready for another possible legal battle with the Trump administration, Schwartz is starting her new job at the CDC after being confirmed by the Senate in a 51-44 vote.
Schwartz is a doctor, lawyer, and retired rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. She was deputy surgeon general of the United States and chief medical officer for the U.S. Coast Guard. She is taking over the CDC as it faces disease outbreaks, staff cuts, and concerns about public trust in federal health agencies.
Her confirmation marks a first for the CDC: a Black woman is now leading the agency.
Cook made her own history four years ago when the Senate confirmed her to the Federal Reserve Board in 2022.
Her lawyers have already said what they plan to do.
“No matter what President Trump tries to do next, this much is clear under the facts and Supreme Court precedent — there is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook,” Lowell and Eisen said. “As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed.”
