White House senior adviser and President Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner gave a wild and revealing interview to Axios that aired Sunday on HBO. During the back and forth, Kushner revealed, among a plethora of other things, that he’s given the Saudi government a pass for the murder of a Washington Post journalist and that he might not call the FBI if Russia requested another meeting.
The interview shocked the most liberal corners of the internet, with many questioning how and why the White House had allowed Kushner to speak, both in general and to a reporter.
Kushner’s refusal to say whether he would call the FBI if he were contacted again by Russians wanting to share dirt on a political opponent and his refusal to say whether Trump’s birther crusade was racist were among the most egregious comments for Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who used the video to point out why “nepotism is a really bad idea.”
Want more evidence that nepotism is a really bad idea? Watch the video below of the son-in-law of @realDonaldTrump.
Also, why does Jared Kushner still have a security clearance? https://t.co/IgAzaC3CyZ
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 3, 2019
Dear @FBI @CIA @NSAGov @ODNIgov @DHSgov: I sure hope you don't share any classified information with Jared Kushner.#MondayMorning Thoughts https://t.co/Rb3G9uBlcu
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 3, 2019
Former head of the Office of Government Ethics Walter Shaub — who’s been a visible nemesis of Trump’s since he left the office over the President’s behavior — called the interview “amazingly bad,” adding that it further illustrates Kushner’s unfitness for a high level government position.
Jared Kushner is just so amazingly bad at this. No one would offer up this video clip as an example of how to carry out the responsibilities of a high-level government position. This would, however, make a a spectacular training video on the perils of nepotism in government.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) June 3, 2019
The criticism was predictably partisan. A former Democratic National Committee official issued a dire warning about Kushner’s relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the kingdom’s actions in recent months, including the murder of Jamal Khashoggi: “The U.S. has been compromised,” Adam Parkhomenko said.
Saudi Arabia murdered and dismembered a Washington Post journalist and Jared Kushner, who has access to all of our national security secrets, is communicating with MBS over WhatsApp. The US has been compromised. https://t.co/GjGenqSJwK
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) June 3, 2019
Philippe Reines, a former spokesman for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, acknowledged the partisan reactions to the interview with a tongue-in-cheek tweet: “Americans overwhelmingly agree Jared Kushner must never again speak aloud.”
These days nothing transcends bitter partisanship. But Americans overwhelmingly agree Jared Kushner must never again speak aloud.
Perversely, despising every fiber of Jared’s rotten being might bring the country together.pic.twitter.com/iIohXz3ABQ
— Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) June 3, 2019
Others took on a more serious tone. Journalist and author Justin Hendrix told Democrats to use the interview as further fodder for impeachment, referencing Kushner’s refusal to say if he’d call the FBI if contacted by Russians.
If you need another argument for impeachment hearings, this could be it: Jared Kushner is not willing to immediately deny he'd accept help from Russia in future. If there are no consequences, they will betray us again. https://t.co/Upi0zRgao9
— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) June 3, 2019
Members of the media offered their own two cents about the interview, disapproval that was primarily centered on Kushner’s inability to answer questions in a straightforward fashion.
Jared Kushner: You can’t not be a racist for 69 years and then run for president and be a racist?
Axios: Was birtherism racist?
Kushner: That was a long time ago.
Hello!!! That was part of Trump’s 69 years. And the Central Park Five and other examples.pic.twitter.com/sDT5bJdfeL
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 3, 2019
Watching the @axios interview with Jared Kushner. My three takeaways:
1) @jonathanvswan does a fantastic job of interviewing him;
2) Patrick Wilson should play Kushner in the movie;
3) Kushner might be the emptiest shell in the history of the White House.— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) June 3, 2019
Holy shit Jared Kushner is even more of an embarrassment than I thought. This clip is brutal. pic.twitter.com/yvxxNPc5J6
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 3, 2019
I have now watched the whole @jonathanvswan – Jared Kushner interview and I have never seen any government official from the school board to the White House less prepared to answer questions.
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) June 3, 2019
Author Vicky Ward, who just published a telling book on Kushner’s rise to political prominence from the real estate world, complimented Axios’ Jonathan Swan’s skills as an interviewer, calling the one-on-one a “masterclass in journalism.”
The #AxiosonHBO interview @jonathanvswan did with Jared Kushner is a masterclass in journalism. It’s airing again tonight at 11:30pm ET. I suggest you tune in.
— Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) June 3, 2019
Kushner tried to play the artful dodger, but @jonathanvswan wouldn’t let up and pinned him down in numerous spots, including getting Kushner to claim publicly for the first time that he never once spoke to Trump about his security clearance.
— Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) June 3, 2019
