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Trump chooses Larry Kudlow - conservative economist and tariff critic - as top economic advisor



Trump chooses Larry Kudlow - conservative economist and tariff critic - as top economic advisor There had been some concern that he would choose Christopher Liddel, a man whose policy instincts are not exactly consistent with the things that have worked so far. But President Trump made a far better choice than that, picking longtime CNBC personality and conservative economist Larry Kudlow to replace Gary Cohn as his top economic advisor. I'd say it's even an improvement, if something of a surprise considering that Kudlow has been an outspoken critic of the president's tariff strategy. For that reason, the offer surprised Kudlow as well:
Mr. Kudllow—who worked as a White House budget aide and Wall Street analyst in the 1980s and early 1990s and built a career as a television and radio commentator in the 2000s—would bring a mix of views to the White House post. He supported Mr. Trump on tax cuts and deregulation, but has argued against the tariffs championed by the president and warned against rising budget deficits. Mr. Kudlow had been sharply critical earlier this month of the tariffs. When Mr. Trump called him on Sunday, Mr. Kudlow said, “I thought he was calling to bawl me out,” he said. Instead, he said the president walked through his reasons for implementing the tariffs. Mr. Kudlow said he spoke by phone again with Mr. Trump on Monday and again on Tuesday night, when he said the president offered him the position. “I immediately accepted. I said I would be honored to accept,” he said. Mr. Kudlow said the president called him again earlier Wednesday, after CNBC flashed his picture and reported that he was the president’s likely pick. Mr. Trump, he said, told him the news was being carried on TV and complimented Mr. Kudlow’s appearance. The two men are set to meet in Washington on Thursday, when Mr. Kudlow said the appointment could be formally announced by Mr. Trump.

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Mr. Kudlow said he was encouraged by Mr. Trump’s decision to grant temporary waivers on the tariffs, including so far to Canada, Mexico and Australia. “He said to me several times, ‘I believe in global trade. I regard myself as a global trader, but it has to be fair trade to protect America,’” Mr. Kudlow said. “I’m on board with that. I personally hope widespread tariff use—it doesn’t come to that. But in some cases, it will.”
Kudlow is basically Reaganesqe on economic policy - and you have to remember Reagan wasn't an entirely pure free trader either - and I have to wonder if Trump might have told him something about the tariff strategy that isn't being shared publicly, which put Kudlow more at ease with what's really going on. Anyway, if your fondest hope about a Trump presidency is that he'll continue a Reaganesque economic direction - guided by people who know it works and can appeal to Trump's business-friendly instincts to keep him on board with it - we couldn't have gotten a much better choice than Larry Kudlow.


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