Jared Kushner ‘dissuaded’ father-in-law Donald Trump from giving himself and his family a federal pardon before leaving office because states would be ‘more motivated to go after him’, Michael Wolff’s new book claims
- Jared Kushner was able to lobby against his father-in-law Donald Trump using presidential powers to pardon himself at the federal level before leaving office
- ‘They say I can. Unlimited pardon power,’ Trump said, according to excerpts of Michael Wolff’s upcoming book about the final days of the Trump’s presidency
- Kushner, however, argued that Trump giving himself or family preemptive federal pardons could motivate states to go after him even more
- The move could lead to increased tensions between Trump and his son-in-law amid reports that the relationship between the two has soured in recent months
Jared Kushner was able to persuade Donald Trump not to pardon himself before leaving office, a forthcoming book details in excerpts published Monday.
The move could lead to an increase in tensions between the former president and his son-in-law amid reports that the relationship between the two has soured in recent months.
‘They say I can. Unlimited pardon power,’ Trump said to Kushner, according to an excerpt of Michael Wolff’s upcoming book Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, which was published by The Times of London on Monday.
Kushner, who is married to Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka and served as his senior adviser, argued that Trump giving himself a preemptive federal pardon could motivate states to go after him even more.
Presidents’ only pardon power is at the federal level – not state – and Trump is already facing multiple lawsuits at the state level.
Jared Kushner was able to lobby against his father-in-law Donald Trump using presidential powers to pardon himself at the federal level before leaving office, claiming the states would come after them harder if he did so
Wolff wrote in his book, which comes out July 27 2021, that Trump should have pardoned his whole family, even his 15-year-old son Barron.
‘Still, with such a lot of people out there who wanted to hurt him, he should pardon the whole family, shouldn’t he – even Barron?’ Wolff wrote. ‘Kushner elided. (Other family members would note that Kushner did, though, grab a pardon for his own father.)’
Michael Wolff’s book ‘Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency’ will hit shelves on July 27, 2021
The excerpts explain that Trump was ‘excited’ by his pardon power at the start of his presidency – something that was made clear by the fact he granted clemency to 237 individuals in his four years.
Wolff notes, however, that the president got ‘bored by the process and the details’ and started asking people for their ‘top pick’ for a pardon.
In January 2021, the last 20 days of his presidency, Trump granted clemency to 116 people.
After Trump’s 2020 loss, it appeared his relationship with Kushner began to sour.
A New York Times report last month revealed that Kushner is stepping back from politics to focus on his book and wants a ‘simpler relationship’ with his father-in-law.
Kushner (right) and wife Ivanka (left), Trump’s eldest daughter, go out for a stroll in Miami, Florida on June 12, 2021 with children (L-R), Arabella, 9, Joseph, 7, and Theodore, 5
Kushner and Ivanka share three children, Arabella, 9, Joseph, 7, and Theodore, 5. The family resides in a condo in Miami since leaving their luxurious rental home in Northwest Washington, D.C.
The couple purchased a $32.2 million lot of land on Indian Creek Island, a luxury, high-security community in Miami-Dade County, Florida, where they are building their new home.
Kushner, who is Jewish, oversaw Trump’s 2020 campaign. He and Ivanka served as senior advisers when Trump was president, and Kushner specifically focused on peace talks in the Middle East and helping with Israeli relations in the region.
Another report reveals that Trump has questioned that role Kushner really played in Middle East peace negotiations and is allegedly worried he will try to take credit for successes of the Trump administration.