Breaking: Trump Wants Son-in-Law to Get Top Secret Clearance for Presidential Daily Brief

‘No Precedent’

Donald Trump wants his son-in-law, Jared Kushner (photo, left), to receive top secret clearance so he can be present during the daily national security reports known as the Presidential Daily Briefing (PDB). Trump has also asked that all three of his adult children receive top secret security clearances, along with Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, but this new development goes further.

That any of Trump’s family would receive top secret clearance is extremely disturbing and a tremendous conflict of interest. Trump has said that all three of his adult children, plus Kushner, will be running his businesses in what the President-elect falsely calls a “blind trust.” While it is the very opposite of that, there should be no crossover in doing the people’s business and doing the family’s business. 

As it is, Trump has appointed all three children and Kushner to major roles within his transition team, where they will be able to set policy and strategy and hire the 5000 people who will work in the Trump Administration at all levels, including the 1000 who need congressional approval.

This latest news paints a portrait of an incoming President who appears overwhelmed and needing to have his family members by his side at eery moment. MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, who serves as NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, on Tuesday evening reported the news via Twitter, noting this newest development is unprecedented.

Aside from marrying Ivanka Trump, exactly who is Kushner and why does he have to be part of the PDB?

“Kushner inherited his family real estate business, married Ivanka Trump and bought a storied New York newspaper, The New York Observer. He has zero knowledge or experience with anything to do with national security or foreign policy,” Talking Points Memo reports Tuesday.

Kushner appears to be gaining power quickly within the Trump administration. On Tuesday anyone with ties to Gov. Chris Christie was cut loose from the Trump transition team, reportedly the decision of Kushner, whose father Chris Christie prosecuted and jailed when he was a U.S. Attorney.

 

Image by Max Goldberg via Flickr and a CC license