FILE PHOTO - Economic analyst Lawrence "Larry" Kudlow appears on CNBC at the New York Stock Exchange, (NYSE) in New York, U.S., March 7, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Conservative commentator Larry Kudlow has emerged as a strong contender to succeed Gary Cohn as President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Kudlow, a CNBC contributor, is a long-time friend and informal adviser to Trump. It was unclear how soon Trump would make up his mind.

Chris Liddell, a former executive at Microsoft Corp and General Motors Co, is also under consideration for the job, a White House official said on Sunday.

Trump is searching for a new director for the White House National Economic Council after Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc president, said he would resign. Cohn’s decision came after Trump decided to put tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to Trump who promoted the tariffs, has also been touted as a candidate for the top economic job, though he has said he is not in the running.

Liddell, 59, has earned respect at the White House for his work on projects like information technology modernization and electronic health records, which have required intensive coordination with government agencies, the official said.