Amid FBI’s Russia probe, Donald Trump’s White House nudges Jared Kushner toward the door
What happens when the boss’s son-in-law screws up so badly and causes such problems that he needs to be fired, but the boss himself isn’t willing to do it? We’re now finding out that answer, with the FBI investigating Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner over his suspicious and potentially illegal meetings with Russian government and Russian bank representatives.
Even as Donald Trump released a brief public statement generically vouching for Jared Kushner on a professional and personal level, his White House is pushing Kushner toward the door. It’s being referred to as a “hiatus” or a “leave of absence” in this piece from The Hill (link). But we’ve seen this movie before. With the way Trump runs his White House power structure in game-of-thrones fashion, if Kushner leaves his influential White House role even on a temporary basis, he’ll never get it back – and everyone including him knows it.
So now we see if Donald Trump’s White House is able to successfully nudge Jared Kushner out the door without Trump himself having to get involved. That may not be as difficult as one might imagine. Kushner planted a story in the media over the weekend in which he suddenly claimed that he and Ivanka Trump were always planning on considering leaving the White House in July (link), so it sounds like he’s already building his own exit ramp.
On the other hand, Kushner’s assertion could also be read as a threat to Donald Trump: if you force me out of the White House, I’ll leave town entirely and I’ll take your daughter with me. It’s difficult to imagine Donald being willing or able to function in the White House without Ivanka at his side, as various signs suggest he’s barely functioning even with her there. This family feud could get ugly. If you’re a regular reader, feel free to support Palmer Report
