Jared Kushner: the president’s puppet master

His name is Jared Kushner, and you probably have never heard of him. If you have, then it is only for being the husband of one of the most influential women in the world at the moment: Ivanka Trump. But what many do not know about Jared Kushner is just how significant a role he currently has in the White House, and as he is a man of very few words, this has been a cause of concern. Since long before Election Day, Kushner could be found lurking in the shadows of President Donald Trump as he made his cantankerous, political-landscape-altering, scorched-earth trek through America. The Trump campaign might have had a revolving door of campaign managers and aides, but it was the reserved Mr. Kushner who, as we are now learning, led Trump to the presidency.

The 36-year-old Harvard graduate has had quite the business career of his own — from buying and running the The New York Observer to acquiring 666 Fifth Avenue for $1.8 billion, the highest price ever paid for a single office building in the U.S., when he was just 26. The soft-spoken Kushner has maneuvered his way through the real estate landscape with the same tenacity and disregard for risk as his father-in-law. But what is more fascinating is that Kushner has often been called, by those close to or within the campaign and White House, the individual whom Trump trusts the most.

Since Trump took office, Kushner has been quietly carrying out some critical tasks for the president. The criticisms regarding nepotism are one thing, but there is also some concern over whether Kushner is qualified for some of these jobs. Just this month, Kushner was in Baghdad meeting with the prime minister of Iraq on behalf of the U.S., a role usually first taken by secretary of state or a military general. The two have been discussing military action and policy in the Middle East and the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group. Benjamin Rhodes, a former adviser to President Obama, pointed out this unconventionality, tweeting “Kushner in Iraq before the National Security Advisor or Secretary of State. Totally normal.”

The same argument Kushner critics use to invalidate his current role in government is starkly similar to that used by Trump critics during the campaign and election: He has no experience in politics or (insert area/field here), so surely he is not capable of doing it at the highest level.

Everyone, even your favorite career politicians, had to start somewhere, and I am confident that Kushner has substantially more deal-making skills and political savvy than most in Washington. If 2016 told us anything, it’s that America is sick of the word “politician” being a lifelong career title.

Arguably the most important task a President (or any leader of this country) has is making deals that further the interests of the U.S. This is not very different from what business leaders must do. The president just serves the interests of the U.S. instead of a company. As long as they have experts surrounding and advising them, if someone has the deal-making talent and the overall interests of America in mind, then I don’t care how much experience in Washington they have. We simply need better deals.

If President Trump succeeds in the Oval Office, he will prove that we don’t have to have lifelong, Washington-bred politicians running the country, but we can instead excel with intelligent leadership and tact.

It was Kushner who got Trump into the presidency. He was the sturdy rock that would reel Trump in after every controversial or outrageous statement, and he still plays a major role in pulling Trump toward safer, more moderate positions. Kushner took charge of the Trump campaign’s digital, online and social media presence and was paramount in crafting Trump’s overall strategy. And whether you liked the result, it worked.

Andrew Hall is a UF management junior. His column appears on Fridays.