President Trump announced Friday afternoon that he would nominate conservative economist Kevin Hassett to run his Council of Economic Advisers.

The nomination of Hassett, currently a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, had been expected for weeks.

Hassett is a free-market economist who has espoused ideas that run counter to some of Trump's more populist campaign planks. In particular, Hassett has advocated lowering trade barriers and reforming entitlements. He also has advised some of the establishment Republicans that Trump antagonized en route to the presidency, including George W. Bush and John McCain.

Under Trump, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers is no longer a Cabinet-level position. Nevertheless, Hassett would face a Senate confirmation process.

There, he would be sure to face questions about Trump's repeated questioning of the unemployment rate published by the Census Bureau. One of the roles of the CEA chairman is to analyze and report on economic statistics for the president.

Unlike the National Economic Council director, the Council of Economic Advisers chairman is not supposed to coordinate economic policy between agencies, but rather to provide more general economic advice, with analysis, to the president and to prepare the annual economic report of the president.

The council comprises three economists, generally from academic backgrounds. Hassett has a PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Trump has yet to select the other members.