Ted Gayer (born May 8, 1970) is an American economist and the president of the Niskanen Center. He is formerly the executive vice president of the Brookings Institution, where he also once served as the vice president and director of the Economic Studies Program and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow. On June 12, 2022, Gayer was appointed acting president of the Brookings Institution following the resignation of John R. Allen that same day.