Jared Kushner’s defense of his father-in-law Donald Trump has him in hot water with his extended family, Politico reported Thursday.
The businessman and New York Observer publisher has defended the presumptive GOP presidential nominee after the New York real estate developer was roundly criticized for tweeting an anti-Hillary Clinton photo image which originated from an anti-Semitic source.
Mr. Kushner is Jewish, as is wife Ivanka Trump, who converted to the faith prior to marrying her husband.
As Politico explained, “In a piece published Wednesday, Kushner revealed his grandparents’ story of survival during World War II” and used the anecdote in defense of his real estate developer father-in-law.
“[I]t’s important to me that people understand where I’m coming from when I report that I know the difference between actual, dangerous intolerance versus these labels that get tossed around in an effort to score political points,” Mr. Kushner wrote.
“But Kushner’s estranged relatives are angry about his decision to invoke their grandparents’ story as Holocaust survivors — and they let it be known on social media, complete with a few typos,” Politico added.
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“I have a different takeaway from my Grandparents’ experience in the war,” reacted Jared’s first cousin Marc Kushner on Facebook, according to Politico. “It is our responsibility as the next generation to speak up against hate. Antisemitism or otherwise.”
“When an out of touch with reality nominee hires an out of touch with reality campaign manager, who is also a son-in-law, you get the BS Jared wrote,” cousin Jacob Schulder blasted Mr. Kushner, also on Facebook. “I don’t think Trump is an antiSemite; I think he’s a lying idiot (among other things) with little to no experiences outside his teetering fiefdom of failed development projects, divorces, bankrupted sports leagues, fraudulent ’Universities’ and golf courses (and the list keeps going).”
Historically, Jewish-Americans have been second only to African-Americans as a loyal Democratic-voting demographic, although the more religiously-strict Orthodox tend to be Republican, according to a Pew Research Center survey, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency noted in a story in August 2015.
“The share of those who identify as Republicans or lean Republican was, as of 2013, 58 percent of haredim, 56 percent of modern Orthodox, 27 percent of Conservative and 17 percent of Reform,” said the JTA.
Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump are Orthodox Jews.
For his part, Mr. Kushner seems unconcerned about tension at the holidays with extended kin.
“Jared hasn’t spoken to either of these people in 10 years,” Politico quoted a “source close to Kushner” as saying.
• Ken Shepherd can be reached at kshepherd@washingtontimes.com.
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