They're resembling the Russian Romanovs so much, perhaps they should be called the Trumpanovs. The surging, royal family-like nepotism under unstable sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump hit a new level when it was reported that Rump son-in-law and prince consort Jared "Mr. Ivanka Trump" Kushner will head Rump's efforts to "reorganize" the Government. Kushner, who was conveniently off skiiing in Aspen last week as the Trumpcare bill went down in ignominious flames, has been serving as one of Rump's "advisors." Just last week, Rump's daughter/substitute First Lady Ivanka "Complicit" Trump was given her own office in the West Wing with access to classified materials, and apparent carte blanche to sit in on any and all meetings with foreign leaders.
In Kushner's case, there is the little problem of his continued ties to his family's real estate development business and specifically a suspiciously favorable potential deal with China's Anbang conglomerate to invest in a struggling Kushner family property in Manhattan that could earn $400 million for the Kushner company. Senate Democrats have asked the White (Supremacist) House for an explanation of Kushner's role in the potential deal.
In addition, there are reports that Kushner will testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding the Rump campaign's collaboration with Russia during and after the elections. Kushner met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at Trump Tower in December, along with disgraced Russian tool Michael Flynn, and separately in the same month with the head of a Russian bank that's been sanctioned by the U.S. over Russia's annexation of Crimea. Hopefully, with good questioning under oath, Kushner will provide previously undisclosed information that will be useful to the investigation.
As with the Romanovs, the arrogant, presumptuous Trumpanovs may feel that they can do anything as "rulers." The Romanovs found out the hard way that that's not how to survive. The Trumpanovs may be just as impervious to reality, too.
BONUS: As an aside, the WaPo article linked to above is a marvelous example of access- driven journalism, with "reporters" Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker dutifully using such ripped- from- the- White- House- news- release lines as "harvesting ideas," "a nimble power center," "a SWAT team of strategic consultants," and "infuse fresh thinking," to describe the concept and workings of the "Office of American Innovation" ("innovation!"). Democracy dies in pandering bullshit, too.
Meanwhile, as Steve M. at No More Mister Nice Blog notes, the group is top heavy with plutocrats such as Goldman Sachs veterans Gary Cohn and Dina Powell, and corporate types like Chris Liddell (Microsoft, GM) and real estate scion Reed Cordish. Why do we suspect the "innovations" will end up being innovative ways for corporations to avoid taxes and screw workers (i.e., "the Trump Model")?
BONUS II: This --
Jared's workload: 15% Middle East, 5% Mexico, 10% China, 2% supervising Tillerson, 10% gov as biz, 58% spinning media to appear as good guy.— Jorge Guajardo (@jorge_guajardo) March 27, 2017
