Blog Stage 4

On July 22, 2017, The New York Times published an editorial by Nicholas Kristof called Jared Kushner’s Got Too Many Secrets to Keep Ours ridiculing Trump’s Senior Advisor, Jared Kushner. Nicholas Kristof has established his credibility over the 16 years of writing for The New York Times, and by covering numerous political events with a straightforward voice.

Kristof’s central argument in the editorial is that Jared Kushner should not be working in the White House, and he should not have security clearance. Although there is no proof Kushner broke the law or plotted Russian interference, he has been under investigation and numerous revelations have bolstered suspicions. Viewed as a security risk to many Americans, Kushner attended a meeting in June 2016 which supposedly was to advance a Kremlin initiative to interfere in the US election. However, he failed to disclose the meeting on government forms and was apparently complicit in a cover-up in which Trump's administration denied that there had been any contacts with Russians to influence the elections. Additionally, Kushner also sought to set up a secret communications channel with the Kremlin during the presidential transition. Kristof, as well as many others, believe that until this situation is clarified, a person like Kushner should not have access to the country’s most important secrets.

Furthermore, Kristof argues that a similar issue arises with Ivanka Trump. The SF-86 form to attain a national security clearance requires the inclusion of a spouse's foreign contacts, so the question that remains is: did Ivanka list the Russians that Kushner was believed to have spoken with? Or were they intentionally left out, which is considered a felony. Kristof admits that these two individuals may be innocent of wrongdoing, forced and manipulated by the Trump administration, but it is still untenable for someone to remain a senior official or continue to have access to the government secrets while under federal investigation for possible ties to Kremlin. Investigators are also looking into whether Trump's digital campaign operation, which Kushner oversaw, colluded with Russians in efforts to spread fake news about Hillary Clinton. The endless allegations and issues are so troublesome that even some Republicans are calling for Kushner to be ousted from the White House.

All in all, I agree with Kristof conclusion that Jared Kushner needs to be closely monitored or even removed from his office. He poses a great security risk to the country and should not be trusted to keep secrets since he is believed to have ties with Russia. Kushner’s difficulties not only harm his credibility and diminishes his own influence but it also paints America as global soft power. The American people have a right to know that they are protected by their government, these secrets and strange relationship with Russia create worry and fear amongst the public. The only way to ensure the safety of America is to keep Jared Kushner, while under investigation for possible felonies and collusion with Russia, from serving as a top White House official. The targeted audience is the public, specifically those who are not as politically active. Kristof conveys his argument to these less engaged individuals to show that they need to learn the facts about the people in office, in order to protect their rights, and maintain a successful and secure government.