The economic reins of the Trump White House were up for grabs last week with the exit of Gary Cohn.  Despite concerns from the right (and, ironically, the left) that the president's appointment would signal a doubling down on trade protectionism, President Trump surprised his detractors by adding an all-star member to his Cabinet in Larry Kudlow.  

Kudlow is a supply-side stalwart who will bring unique economic experience to Trump's administration.  He began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where he worked in open-market operations and bank supervision.  Quickly rising through the ranks, Kudlow eventually became the chief economist for Bear Stearns & Company after serving in the Executive Office of the President during the Reagan years.  Today, he is a syndicated columnist and a frequent contributor to CNBC.  Additionally, Kudlow is a founder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, an organization that has played a critical role in educating the public on the benefits of supply-side policies. 

Kudlow's tremendous understanding of markets is evident during his frequent television appearances.  It should come as a surprise to no one that Trump views Kudlow as someone who could serve as an effective communicator of his economic policies to American families.  

Perhaps the only area of disagreement between Kudlow and President Trump involves tariffs.  The president has favored blanket tariffs in a variety of industries, while Kudlow is first and foremost a free trader.  Kudlow has, however, advocated for highly targeted tariffs if they prove effective for negotiating broader policy reforms.  Conservatives and supply-siders are hopeful that Kudlow will use his economic expertise to steer the president toward a greater embrace of free-market economics.  President Trump addressed this disagreement, noting that "we don't agree on everything, but in this case I think that's good."

Time and again, Trump has kept true to his promise to hire "the best people" for his administration.  In his selection on Kudlow, Trump's excellent management skills were once again on full display – Kudlow's appointment might be the president's best selection since Supreme Court justice Neil Gorsuch.  Our new NEC director will only strengthen the renewed optimism Americans are presently feeling.  Thank you, President Trump, for saying "you're hired" to Larry Kudlow.

Pat Hall is the editor in chief of RightOnPolicy.com.