Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Retired 4-Star General Barry McCaffrey: Jared Kushner Representing America 'Simply Outrageous

Retired 4-Star General Barry McCaffrey: Jared Kushner Representing America 'Simply Outrageous
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

He's not holding back.

Retired Four-Star General Barry McCaffrey told All In With Chris Hayes that it's "simply outrageous" that Jared Kushner is acting as the United States' chief foreign emissary.


Speaking to Chris Hayes on MSNBC Wednesday night, the former general excoriated Kushner, son-in-law of and senior adviser to President Donald Trump.

McCaffrey, who has not been shy in his criticism of the Trump administration, told Hayes that Kushner being put in charge of foreign policy, specifically Middle East peace, is a danger to our country.

"Putting Jared Kushner, a 30-something person with no foreign policy experience or defense policy experience, as a leading representative of the United States is simply outrageous."

Giphy

McCaffrey also explained that Kushner's lack of a security clearance is a blatant violation of both policy and precedent.

"The officers of our government, under the constitution, have to be confirmed by the Senate whether they are ambassadors, generals or senior officials of the government," said McCaffrey. "So reading out the State Department and having one-on-one contact with Jared Kushner, by phone and in person, is a huge threat to a rational policy making process."

His comments followed breaking news on Wednesday night that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was reported to have bragged about having Kushner "in his pocket."

"One of the people MBS told about the discussion with Kushner was UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, according to a source who talks frequently to confidants of the Saudi and Emirati rulers. MBS bragged to the Emirati crown prince and others that Kushner was "in his pocket," the source told The Intercept."

McCaffrey continued to say that Kushner's intermingling of personal business ties and his role as Senior White House Adviser represent a clear conflict of interest, adding to the already historic level of nepotism inside the Trump administration.

"It just has no precedent, in my view, in American government in modern times," McCaffrey added. "This is the personalization of a family business dealing with U.S. policy."

Kushner and his foreign business interests have been making headlines again lately, as news has surfaced that his billionaire father, Charles, sought $500 million in loans from the Qatari government just weeks after Trump's inauguration.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Kushner and his associates failed to disclose the attempts to secure foreign loans to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The Kushners are one of the largest landlords in New York City, and their flagship building, 666 Fifth Avenue, has a $1.2 billion balloon payment due early in 2019. Kushner's pursuit of foreign loans to save his real estate empire is raising eyebrows—namely, the lack of separation between governmental affairs and personal business matters.

After Kushner failed to secure the capital his company so desperately needs, Trump abruptly upended American relations with Qatar, calling it a nation that sponsors terrorism. This threw a massive wrench into the effort to establish trade and military relations in the Middle East, which is one of the top responsibilities levied onto Kushner by the president.

More from People

Screenshot of Ice-T; Donald Trump
Revolver/YouTube; Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Video Of Ice-T's NSFW Rant About Trump And His 'Scary' Supporters Resurfaces—And It's Spot On

Rapper and actor Ice-T has gone viral after a 2020 video from Revolver featuring him commenting about President Donald Trump and his "scary" supporters has resurfaced, resonating with people as the U.S. navigates Trump's chaotic second term in office.

The video was published in September 2020, at the height of an election cycle largely characterized by Trump's repetitive and patently false claims about potential election interference in a bid to undermine the candidacy of then-candidate Joe Biden, who would go on to win the presidency.

Keep ReadingShow less
AriZona Iced Tea can; Donald Trump
@DrinkAriZona/X; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

AriZona Iced Tea May Raise Price After Three Decades Thanks To Trump's Tariffs—And People Are Not Ok

People aren't doing too well after AriZona CEO Don Vultaggio said he is now considering raising the price of the company's 22-ounce tallboy iced teas—which for decades have been priced at exactly $0.99 per can—because of President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The company is looking at changing course for the first time following Trump's announcement in June that he’s doubling tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from 25% to 50%.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chasten Buttigieg; Kim Davis
Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for GLSEN; Ty Wright/Getty Images

Chasten Buttigieg Rips Kim Davis' Hypocrisy After She Asks Supreme Court To Overturn Gay Marriage

Following the news that former Kentucky municipal clerk Kim Davis has petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse Obergefell v. Hodges—the landmark decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationally—educator and activist Chasten Buttigieg, who is married to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, called out her hypocrisy given her own marriage history.

Davis, who spent six days in jail in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to a gay couple on religious grounds, is appealing a jury’s award of $100,000 in emotional damages and $260,000 in attorneys’ fees.

Keep ReadingShow less
The outside of a best buy store
The image shows the exterior of a best buy store.

Major Companies People Think Won't Exist In 20 Years

No business is immortal.

But some business are especially vulnerable, owing to the passing of time, or the advancements of technology.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Donald Trump
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Newsom Channels Trump In All-Caps Vow To Redistrict California After Trump 'Missed' Deadline

The latest in the ongoing feud between MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom involves a bit of imitation—but it definitely wasn't the sincerest form of flattery.

Newsom has been actively locking horns with Trump and his fellow governor, MAGA Republican Greg Abbott of Texas.

Keep ReadingShow less