Trump's New Economic Adviser Has Surprising Opinions on Tariffs

Gary Cohn resigned as President Trump's top economic adviser earlier this month over his opposition to Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs. So it stands to reason that the president's choice to replace Cohn ... also opposes those tariffs. Sources tell CNN that Trump has offered the top position at the White House National Economic Council to Larry Kudlow and Kudlow has accepted. Trump could make the official announcement as soon as Thursday, CNBC reports. "I'm looking at Larry Kudlow very strongly," the president said Tuesday. "I've known him a long time. We don't agree on everything, but in this case I think that's good. I want to have a divergent opinion—we agree on most."

Kudlow, 70, is a former Democrat who worked for the Reagan administration, Politico reports. He served Trump as an informal economic adviser during the presidential campaign and appears on TV as a conservative media analyst. It's that last role that was partly responsible for Trump offering him the gig, a senior White House official says. Trump wants more people on TV advocating for his policies and reportedly told Kudlow over the phone Tuesday that he has been "looking handsome" on TV. While the anti-tariff Kudlow could clash with protectionists inside Trump's White House, he's a popular choice with Republican lawmakers. "Couldn't be more pleased," Rep. Tom Cole tells CNN. "He is somebody that House Republicans are extraordinarily comfortable with." (More Larry Kudlow stories.)