AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Its been said that the only person that can separate Trump from his supporters is Trump. It appears to be a deep connection, but loyalty runs deep with Trump and his closest support comes from his family. The problem is that his family doesn’t necessarily share the same vision for America as the average Trump voter.
Peter Schweizer has commented on recent reports that President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, failed to disclose financial ties to Goldamn Sachs and George Soros. Given the size of the investments involved, it’s a stretch to claim that this was a matter of carelessness or minor negligence.
On the heels of the reports is the story of how Kushner’s sister, Nicole Meyer, who runs the family real estate business now, name dropped Kushner to prospective Chines investors in connection with the possibility of obtaining EB-5 visas. The program allows wealthy investors to gain permanent U.S. residence through an investment of $500,000. For Chinese millionaires this is a small price to pay to gain access to one of the most desirable countries to live in on the planet. Suffice it to say that influence peddling to allow foreigners access to America doesn’t square with President Trump’s “America First” campaign rhetoric.
Kushner stays out of the spotlight and his policy views are largely hidden. Given the apparent influence that he wields with the President, this should give pause to those invested in Trump’s success. The one interview with him that I recall reading was about his tremendous efforts to develop and run a sophisticated data and social media campaign that may well have been the margin of victory in the election. I respect that, every Trump voter should. I’m not at all convinced however that Kushner was especially invested in most of Trump’s campaign issues, and may well have seen it as an opportunity to attain extraordinary power.
As the Trump presidency plays out a lot of attention will continue to be paid to the President’s inner circle. Kushner is only 36 and undoubtedly harbors political ambitions of his own, who wouldn’t in that position. The halls of power are known to breed hubris however and the failure to disclose troubling ties to shady financial players may be a warning sign.
