First Daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are often perceived as the nicer, more reasonable counterparts of their fathers, yet in truth, according to a book released in 2019, Jared is “as sinister as Donald Trump”.
“Kushner, Inc.Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump”, penned by investigative journalist Vicky Ward, claims that while Jared may give the impression of being more measured and reasonable as compared to the often brash Trump, he has similarities to his father-in-law as well.
The author, who says she interviewed 220 people for “Kushner, Inc,” from Gary Cohn to Ivanka’s high school tour guide, quotes a business associate of Kushner as saying:
“Jared is as sinister as Donald Trump is. He’s not a pussycat, although he appears very pasty, well dressed, well put together, and always saying the right thing, doing the right thing. He’d be tough, too.”
Similarly negative statements are attributed to other colleagues and employees of Jared Kushner, with many, according to the book, claiming he lacked any genuine interest in real estate.
Still other associates branded him an “imperious delegator”, who was poor with the details and would opt to refer employees to someone else if they asked him for specifics, like a leasing figure.
Nonetheless, Kushner appeared to flaunt an inflated ego, with head of leasing on a project in DUMBO, Brooklyn, quoting the US President’s son-in-law as bragging:
“If I had your job, I’d be so much better at it.”
“Condescending and disrespectful” were the words used to describe Kushner by two executives at Vornado, a company that part-owned LNR Partners which was brought on board to salvage a financial crisis at Kushner Companies.
David Greenbaum and Wendy Silverstein claimed to have been dragged into shouting matches with him over management issues.
Ward also said that multiple sources claimed Jared was “doggedly unrealistic” about certain projects, like for example asking a price far exceeding the market value for luxury penthouses at the top of the Puck Building in 2011.
The author also claims that Kushner set “unrealistic expectations” for the Public Relations firms that the Kushner Companies signed up.
News editor Elizabeth Spiers was also cited in the book as deploring that Ivanka Trump’s husband has no respect for journalists, no interest in good journalism, and was prone to attack anyone who upset him.
Ivanka and Jared are currently both senior advisers to the US President, who worked for their respective fathers’ real estate companies prior to taking on their roles in the Trump administration.
As they worked with clients in the Trump Organisation and Kushner Companies, their professional lives often interacted, prompting them to step out as a team to offset their respective fathers’ volatility.
Jared’s father Charlie Kushner, who founded Kushner Companies in 1985 and has been convicted of tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions, and witness tampering, was reportedly ruthless in his business dealings – with his son possibly inheriting some of these traits, claims the book.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have not commented on these allegations.