Economist and political pundit Larry Kudlow says he is strongly considering challenging Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) for his Senate seat in 2016.
“Well, it’s a pretty strong rumor, and we’ve been looking at it, my wife and I have been looking at it for the past five or six months,” he told radio host John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable” on New York’s AM 970 on Sunday.
{mosads}“I can’t announce it today, there are all kinds of legal and financial ramifications, but I can only tell you as a friend … that Judy and I are looking at it very carefully.”
Kudlow says he disagrees with Blumenthal on a variety of issues, ranging from the Iran nuclear agreement to the corporate tax rate.
“Mr. Blumenthal was wrong on signing the Iran deal. He was wrong on pushing for the U.N. to bring Syrian hostages into the United States,” he said.
“And, John, he’s a tax-and-spender. He was in Connecticut, and he’s a tax-and-spender in Washington at a time, frankly, with the economy at two percent [growth] or less, we ought to have a 15 percent corporate tax, not a 40 percent.”
Moving over to the 2016 presidential race, Kudlow said Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are the only Republicans with a chance of taking on front-runner Donald Trump for the party nomination.
“If Ted Cruz wins in Iowa — I don’t know that he will — if he does, and Trump is second, they’re going to battle it out in New Hampshire and South Carolina. And, John, I think Trump wins that battle,” he said.
Kudlow added he does not believe the conventional wisdom Trump would lose to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in a general election.
“Trump, as you know, you know the guy, is a tough guy. If you whack him, he’s going to whack you back harder,” he said.
“And Hillary, you know, between that and the emails, which are still being investigated by the FBI — in other words, what am I saying? I’m saying she’s a weak candidate.”