Larry Kudlow: from cocaine abuse to Catholic convert to CNBC to Donald Trump’s White House

Last updated on: March 14, 2018 at 3:22 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

Larry Kudlow: from cocaine abuse to Catholic convert to CNBC to Donald Trump’s White House 2018-03-14T15:22:55-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

From The New York Times:

President Trump is expected to name Larry Kudlow, a CNBC television commentator who has served as an informal adviser to him, as director of the National Economic Council, according to three people familiar with the decision.

Mr. Kudlow would become Mr. Trump’s top economic adviser, replacing Gary D. Cohn, who said he would resign after losing a battle over the president’s longstanding desire to impose large tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Mr. Kudlow, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, said that Mr. Trump offered him the job and that he immediately accepted. Mr. Kudlow told The Journal that an announcement could come as early as Thursday.

But his backstory is much more interesting and compelling:

In the 1980s, he served as an economist in the Reagan administration, before starring on Wall Street as a senior managing director for Bear Stearns.

What few people know is that Kudlow entered the Roman Catholic Church in 1997, after plunging into a period of personal disaster involving alcohol and cocaine abuse. Here Kudlow describes in depth his recovery through his conversion to Catholicism.

Neumayr: What year were you baptized into the Roman Catholic Church?

Kudlow: November 20, 1997, at St. Thomas More Church in New York City, under the direction of Fr. John McCloskey, an Opus Dei priest who now heads up the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C.

How much preparation did you have?

Four years. The story starts in the winter of 1993. I was introduced to Fr. McCloskey by Jeffrey Bell, a political consultant and dear friend of mine. I ran into Jeff on the street in New York, and we had not seen each other in a while. We talked, and Jeff said he wanted to introduce me to Fr. John. A few weeks later, Fr. McCloskey came to visit me in my office.

He introduced himself and said he had been watching me on various television shows throughout the years. He said, “Lately you have changed?’ I said, “How so?” And he said, “It appears you’re looking for God.” He was right, and I broke down and started to cry. So we talked some more. As I recall, he asked me if I believed in life in the hereafter. I said I did.

I think I had told him that I had just come from four weeks in a treatment center for alcohol and substance abuse, a faith-based or spiritually based treatment center. He said that he would give me some books to read.

So at that point you were a non-practicing, secularized Jew?

Right. I was barmitzvahed when I was 13, but I don’t think I had been in a temple, not to worship anyway, in at least 25 years. But I was in this twelve-step recovery program, which, as I said, is a faith-based program.

Fr. McCloskey has a background in economics, doesn’t he?

Yes, he was a former stockbroker for Merrill Lynch. After I talked to him, I went to Mass, and I enjoyed it actually. The first time I walked into Thomas More in New York City I loved it. As soon as I saw Christ on the cross, I felt at one with it.

Previous Post

March 14, 2018

Media FAIL: Vatican admits it doctored photo of letter from Benedict — UPDATED

Next Post

March 15, 2018 Bishop on deacons: 'Let's lift up this vocation, let's emphasize its role'

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution Politics politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which country has the most Protestant Christians by number?

Select your answer to see how you score.

United States United Kingdom Germany Brazil

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »