They take no pay and seek no headlines. They embrace their enemies and successfully practice the dying art of bipartisanship.
And yet, first daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner have been assailed in the media, called cockroaches and robots.
The latest example is Vicky Ward’s new book Kushner Inc., that portrays “Javanka” and their influence with President Trump as dangerous.
While others might run for cover or quit, the couple is expanding their roles as the 2020 presidential campaign nears, and rolling their eyes at the criticisms.
“Listen, they are closer to the president than ever, and despite all the shots taken at them, they are standing taller and stronger than ever,” said a top Trump adviser.
And for good reason. Both have been critical to some of Trump’s most important and bipartisan achievements, from job creation to criminal justice reform.
.@IvankaTrump helped double the child tax credit & is fighting for paid family leave.@JaredKushner helped deliver criminal justice reform & is working on Middle East peace.
If they were Democrats, the media would praise them.
Instead, they’re falsely attacked in a phony book.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) March 19, 2019
“Few people have received such vitriolic hostility as Jared and Ivanka, for simply doing their job,” said ally Sergio Gor, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s deputy chief of staff.
Kushner has been especially criticized over past business deals, efforts to secure a security clearance, and for having a skimpy public service resume, but insiders said he ignores the attacks and resists reacting.
“He views it as just noise, fake noise, and it doesn’t distract him,” said an ally.
Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Secrets that Jared and Ivanka are invaluable to the administration because they offer a rare family perspective into the president, something he hinted that it was akin to the working relationship between former President John F. Kennedy and brother Bobby Kennedy, JFK’s adviser and attorney general.
“Jared and Ivanka are among the most valuable assets in the White House. Not only do they have a deep understanding of the issues and their own unique talents, but they also provide all of us with a level of insight into the president’s thinking unseen since the Kennedy administration,” said Mulvaney.
He also said that the couple have stood strong against the media and critics. “The perseverance, toughness, and loyalty both have exhibited is one of the most under-reported stories of this presidency,” he said.
Many of their allies agreed.
“From Ivanka’s continual work on behalf of working families and efforts to modernize America’s workforce to Jared’s abilities to advance key priorities like the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and long-awaited, bipartisan criminal justice reform, no one can argue with their records of success,” said 2020 re-election campaign manager Brad Parscale.
“Ivanka and Jared have inherited the president’s thick skin, so they don’t get disoriented by catcalls from the establishment press,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “They have brought the administration victories — criminal justice reform, for example — so their portfolio continues to expand.”
And Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, said, “Despite the negative attacks, Ivanka and Jared have remained focused and delivered real results for this administration. They have played integral roles in some of the administration’s most notable bipartisan accomplishments: from doubling the child tax credit to the most substantive criminal justice reform in a generation. They continue to go to work each day with the interests of the American people in mind, despite the media’s unceasing efforts to tear them down.”
Democratic pollster John Zogby chalked up the attacks in part to jealousy. “Jared is a controversial figure on his own because of his own family and his business dealings. With no governmental or diplomatic experience he is valued over Cabinet members so there is plenty of resentment. Ivanka has it all, so that in itself is a source of resentment, but she is seen as ‘complicit’ in a vile presidency which is viewed as betrayal by her NYC elite friends,” he said.
Far from giving into the criticism, Kushner is readying the administration’s new Middle East peace plan, likely to be released after the April Israel elections, and is set to be the re-election campaign’s point person in the White House.
He’s also expected to play an increasing role on Capitol Hill, especially on immigration reform, and that is welcomed by those involved in the recent shutdown negotiations.
“He helped shape an alternative the president was comfortable with on immigration reform back in January. Know he worked with members from both sides of the aisle. Helped POTUS set a framework on temporary provisional status for some immigrants, in country asylum,” said a key congressional budget negotiator.
“I think he’s one of the few that has the clout with the president but also frequently engages with Democrats,” said the official, adding, “He will be one of the top folks we will all rely on to find the right balance.”
Ivanka Trump is also expanding her efforts to give her father the rightful title as “Jobs President,” just this week unveiling a bid to expand education opportunities for working trades.
And along the way their tiny staffs are also getting credit in the administration and on Capitol Hill for being easy to work with and sticking to their practice of not leaking.
Said RNC’s McDaniel in a tweet, “@IvankaTrump helped double the child tax credit & is fighting for paid family leave. @JaredKushner helped deliver criminal justice reform & is working on Middle East peace. If they were Democrats, the media would praise them. Instead, they’re falsely attacked in a phony book.”
