Transition of power
Prom
Backed by
President Trump has chosen Charles Kushner to be the Ambassador to France. Charles Kushner is the father of President Trump’s son-in-law and received a presidential pardon at the end of Trump’s first term.
Written by Zach Montague
On Saturday, President-elect Donald J. Trump revealed his intention to appoint Charles Kushner, a successful real estate executive and father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France. This decision marks an early and significant ambassadorial appointment being given to a family member.
The recent announcement marked the continuation of a history of political support between the two individuals. Mr. Kushner was granted a pardon by Mr. Trump towards the end of his first term for multiple infractions, and later became a significant contributor to Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign.
In a social media post, Mr. Trump announced his nomination of Charles Kushner from New Jersey as the U.S. Ambassador to France. He praised Kushner as a successful business leader, philanthropist, and negotiator who will effectively represent the country and its interests.
In 2004, a man named Mr. Kushner, aged 70, admitted to committing tax evasion, retaliating against a federal witness, and lying to the Federal Election Commission. This case was a major embarrassment for his family. As part of his guilty plea, Mr. Kushner confessed to paying a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, who was a witness in a federal campaign finance investigation, and then sending a video of the encounter to his sister.
President Trump decided to grant clemency to Mr. Kushner along with 25 others in the final month of his first term, which also included pardons for Paul Manafort, his campaign chairman from 2016, and Roger J. Stone Jr., a close ally and informal advisor.
Mr. Kushner not only helped secure a pardon for himself, but also played a key role in assisting others who were seeking clemency by using his son as a way to get their applications in front of Mr. Trump.
Chris Christie, a former New Jersey governor and U.S. attorney, led the prosecution against Mr. Kushner. Christie, who is now a critic of Mr. Trump, still believes that Kushner’s wrongdoing was serious.
After spending two years in prison, Mr. Kushner was released in 2006.
Mr. Kushner is expected to be nominated for a prestigious ambassador position, which is highly regarded. However, the relationship between Mr. Trump and President Macron of France may complicate this nomination.
During his time as president, Mr. Trump showed his approval for Marine Le Pen, a far-right candidate who ran against Emmanuel Macron in the 2017 French presidential election. Mr. Trump admired Le Pen’s strong stance against immigration.
Mr. Macron, a strong advocate for NATO and Ukraine, will continue as president until mid-2027. Mr. Trump has expressed doubt about the importance of Western aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, and has clashed publicly with Mr. Macron on various issues such as trade and the U.S. exiting a nuclear agreement with Iran.
Zach Montague is a journalist for The New York Times who reports on the U.S. Department of Education, the White House, and federal courts. To learn more about Zach Montague, click here.
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation of the website for