Tag: Trump nepotism

Leaked memo reveals White House counsel pushed to downgrade Kushner’s clearance over ‘serious’ concerns

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Former White House counsel Don McGahn called for presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner’s security clearance to be downgraded over “serious” concerns in his background check, according to a new book.

President Donald Trump overruled career officials in 2018 to grant Kushner a top-secret security clearance despite concerns raised by intelligence officials and the White House. A memo obtained by Times reporter Michael Schmidt for his new book “Donald Trump v. The United States” shows that McGahn argued that Kushner’s clearance should be downgraded over those concerns, according to an excerpt published by Axios.

“The information you were briefed on one week ago and subsequently relayed to me, raises serious additional concerns about whether this individual ought to retain a top security clearance until such issues can be investigated and resolved,” McGahn wrote in a memo to then-White House chief of staff John Kelly following a routine FBI background investigation into Kushner. Continue reading.

Trump’s Sister Bashes Callous Ivanka Over Separated Migrant Children In New Recordings

Maryanne Trump Barry also calls Eric Trump “the moron” in the latest audios released by the president’s niece Mary Trump.

New audio recordings reveal Donald Trump’s sister criticizing Ivanka Trump after the president ordered that migrant children be separated from their families at the border.

Maryanne Trump Barry also calls the president’s second son, Eric, “the moron” in the recording released to MSNBC by Mary L. Trump, the niece of Barry and President Trump.

Barry said she couldn’t fault comedian Samantha Bee for her stinging attack on the first daughter as “oblivious” — and worse — after Ivanka, who is also a White House adviser, posted a photo on Instagram in May 2018 of her hugging one of her kids while migrant families were suffering in detention facilities. Continue reading.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner earned at least $36 million in outside income last year, new disclosures show

Washington Post logoIvanka Trump and Jared Kushner earned at least $36.2 million as they served in the White House last year, reporting a boost in income from some companies they own that hold residential and commercial properties, new disclosures released Friday show.

President Trump’s daughter and her husband, who serve as top advisers to him, reported a minimum combined income that was at least $7 million higher than in 2018, when they reported making at least $29 million, according to their personal financial disclosures, which they are required to file annually.

Their minimum income was lower last year than it was in 2017, the year they entered government service, when they reported earning at least $82 million, the disclosures show.  Continue reading.

John Bolton details how Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner wield power behind the scenes

AlterNet logoFormer Trump national security adviser John Bolton revealed in an interview with ABC News broadcast Sunday that the most powerful person in the White House was Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.

“Next to the president, who held the most power in the White House?” ABC News’ Martha Raddatz asked Bolton.

“It varied from time to time,” Bolton responded. “The sustained answer to that question . . . is Jared Kushner.” Continue reading.

Meadows learns to navigate Kushner’s sprawling White House influence

The new chief of staff is witnessing Trump White House truisms: Power centers vie over many decisions, and Jared Kushner is often the most powerful voice.

When the White House’s top domestic policy job came open in recent weeks, newly installed chief of staff Mark Meadows was quick to suggest a surprising name: Stephen Miller.

The proposal, described by three people familiar with the situation, would place Miller, the hard-charging force behind the administration’s immigration policies, in a better-defined role as Meadows worked to reshape the West Wing.

But Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, intervened. He suggested others he had worked with at the White House. Eventually, Derek Lyons, who is viewed as close to Kushner, became the new acting director of the Domestic Policy Council. Continue reading.

The Memo: White House pushes back on Kushner critics

The Hill logoThe White House is pushing back on criticism of Jared Kushner’s role in responding to the coronavirus crisis after a sustained barrage of media fire on the president’s son-in-law.

Kushner has been hit for some upbeat comments he has made in interviews — which critics have derided as hopelessly optimistic — as well as alleged shortcomings in the work of the team of volunteers he has headed.

Now the administration is pressing the case in Kushner’s defense, after both The New York Times and The Washington Post reported extensively on the volunteer group. Continue reading.

Democrats question Kushner about health surveillance privacy during pandemic

Lawmakers want to know about White House contacts with technology companies

Lawmakers are raising new questions about the role of senior White House adviser Jared Kushner in the response to the coronavirus, particularly when it comes to the government’s work with big tech companies.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, led a Friday letter to Kushner with fellow Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. Eshoo is the chairwoman of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.

The three Democrats are expressing concerns about relationships between public health surveillance efforts and companies like Verily, with is owned by Google’s parent company. Continue reading.

He Went to Jared

New York Times logoHeaven help us, we’re at the mercy of the Slim Suit crowd.

A few years ago, when some photos by Times photographers adorning our office walls were swapped out for others, I found one headed for the dumpster.

It captured the scene when Andy Card came over to whisper to George W. Bush, as he read “The Pet Goat” to schoolchildren in Sarasota, that a second plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

It was such a pivotal moment in this country’s history, it seemed too important to toss. So I hung it in my office. Continue reading.

Jared Kushner has ‘thrown out the established government plan’ on pandemics — and has been swarmed by corporate execs

AlterNet logoPresident Trump has refused to use a wartime law to require major manufacturers to make vital equipment to combat the new coronavirus, reportedly after corporations successfully lobbied his top adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Last week, Trump signed the Defense Production Act, a Korean War-era law that allows the federal government to force American companies to ensure the availability of crucial equipment. But the president has refused to invoke the law even as governors across the country and lawmakers in Washington have warned that time is running out to stop the exponential spread of coronavirus infections.

Trump falsely compared the law to nationalizing businesses during a White House briefing on Sunday. Continue reading.

Kushner coronavirus team sparks confusion, plaudits inside White House response efforts

Washington Post logoJared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and a senior adviser, has created his own team of government allies and private industry representatives to work alongside the administration’s official coronavirus task force, adding another layer of confusion and conflicting signals within the White House’s disjointed response to the crisis.

Kushner, who joined the administration’s coronavirus efforts last week, is primarily focused on attempting to set up drive-through testing sites with the help of technology and retail executives, as well as experts in health-care delivery. The goal, officials familiar with the work said, is to have limited testing in a handful of cities running by Friday and to expand the project from there.

But Kushner’s team is causing confusion among many officials involved in the response, who say they are unsure who is in charge given Kushner’s dual role as senior adviser and Trump family member. Some have privately dubbed his team a “shadow task force” whose requests they interpret as orders they must balance with regular response efforts.
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