White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow suffered a heart attack and is at Walter Reed Medical Center, according to a tweet from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump tweeted the news on Monday evening ET, literally only minutes before a historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un:
Further word on Kudlow’s condition was not immediately available.
Kudlow plays central role in trade talks
Kudlow, a former CNBC contributor and Wall Street economist, has played a leading role in ongoing talks between the United States and its major trade partners, including China.
In March, Kudlow replaced Gary Cohn in the post of National Economic Council director.
Kudlow, 70, took the job after Cohn resigned following a fight against tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Prior to his appointment, Kudlow had advocated for free trade and generally opposed tariffs, but he has proven a vocal proponent of Trump hard line on trade.
“This president’s got some backbone, others didn’t, and he’s raising the issue in full public view, setting up a process that may include tariffs,” Kudlow told CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” in April.
“Somebody’s got to do it,” Kudlow continued at the time. “Somebody’s got to say to China, ‘You are no longer a Third World country. You are a First World country and you have to act like it. The president’s got to stick up for himself and the United States.”
Walter Reed Medical Center is located in Bethesda, Maryland.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
