Donald Trump responds to the FBI investigating Jared Kushner by giving him even more White House power
Now that it’s come to light that the FBI is investigating Jared Kushner in relation to Donald Trump’s Russia scandal, one might think Trump would have the sense to downscale Kushner’s role and visibility. Failing that, one might think Kushner himself would have the sense to lay low to see if it blows over. But instead, Trump is responding the FBI news by giving Kushner additional power within the White House.
Donald Trump has decided that his exploding Russia scandal is merely a messaging problem, rather than accurately seeing it as a criminal and counterespionage investigation that’s likely to put a number of people in prison. To that end, Reuters says that Trump is putting together a “war room” to fight back against the Russia scandal on a public relations level (link). One of the three people who will be in charge of this crucial Trump war room? Jared Kushner.
On one level this development points to the inherent danger of an elected official giving his own son-in-law a key government job. Donald Trump is surely hesitant to demote or fire Jared Kushner, no matter how deep the FBI investigation into Kushner goes, and no matter how damning the evidence against him might end up being. Trump doesn’t want to fire his son-in-law and anger his own daughter in the process. But there’s more to it.
The other two people being put in charge of Donald Trump’s new war room are Steve Bannon and Corey Lewandowski, two individuals who have proven themselves unfit for any role in the Trump campaign or administration, but who are still around because they’re personally loyal to Trump himself. Trump is running his administration based solely on personal loyalty at the direct expense of the law, the sanctity of government, and the security of the United States.
