All posts tagged "jared kushner"

'How humiliating': JD Vance ripped as his confident Iran boast unravels in real time

Vice President JD Vance is facing online mockery after a boast about the recent Iran deal backfired.

Vance went on Fox & Friends Weekend on Saturday morning to tout Trump's new Iran deal. He told the Fox program, "My understanding, talking to Steve and Jared this morning, is that things are going well," referring to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

"The United States has all the cards," Vance continued. "The straits are now open."

Less than a few hours after he made those comments, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, and online commentators let him have it.

"How humiliating," writer Polly Sigh reacted on X.

"Steve and Jared - the two who completely bungled these negotiations from the start which led us into this mess," added MeidasTouch, a political news network.

"Talking to Steve and Jared. Good lord," wrote Missouri Democratic congressional candidate Fred Wellman.

"He's not a particularly good liar," veteran journalist Bill Kristol said. "But he's certainly a shameless one."

"Believe nothing that comes out of his mouth," Middle East and geopolitical analyst Matthew RJ Brodsky posted.

" Trump has given Vance enough rope to hang himself," economist and author Anders Aslund wrote. "Witkoff and Kushner are no negotiators, nor knowledgeable. The US has no cards."

"We said Uno. Iran said Draw Four," writer and podcaster Hemant Mehta posted, playing off Vance's card metaphor.

"It might be time to retire the 'we have all the cards' metaphor," University of Ottawa professor Roland Paris suggested. "Given how obviously the administration is being outplayed by those who supposedly don't have any cards."

Norman Ornstein, a political scientist and contributing editor for The Atlantic, simply reacted, "Hahahahahahahahaha."

Ex-GOP operative brutally mocks glaring hole in Ivanka's island story

Ivanka Trump's story about how she and Jared Kushner seemed to stumble upon the Albanian island where they want to build their $1.4 billion resort has a glaring hole, according to an ex-GOP operative.

Steve Schmidt couldn't help but laugh during his podcast and sing "Albania! Albania!" while he broke apart Ivanka's story about discovering the island while swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and then walking ashore to explore it.

"She got five words in," before she started lying, as he notes that "She would have stepped on her first landmine."

Schmidt explained with the help of his guest, Canadian podcaster Dean Blundell, that the Albanian island of Sazan is littered with landmines and ordnance.

On top of that, even though Ivanka says the island is in the Mediterranean, Blundell points out that it sits squarely "in the Adriatic" Sea.

Dead Air: Ivanka and Jared's special "discovery" by Steve Schmidt

Read on Substack

Trump envoy's secret meeting with top nuclear scientists a clear sign for experts: report

President Donald Trump's Iran envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner made an unannounced trip to visit the nation's top nuclear experts at the national lab in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, according to an Axios report on Friday.

A deal to end the Iran war has not yet been reached, and many of the conditions were still under consideration, but the ongoing negotiations and secret meeting at the energy department facilities on Thursday signaled the experts "could play a role in nuclear negotiations with Iran," Axios reported.

"This meeting in Oak Ridge doesn't mean that a deal is going to happen, but it is a sign that the negotiations are in a very serious phase and that there is a good chance to get it done and we want to be prepared," a U.S. official told the outlet.

"Some of the country's foremost experts in uranium processing and centrifuge technology are based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex. In the past, nuclear materials and equipment — including from Kazakhstan and Libya — were routed through Tennessee," according to Axios.

The Trump administration and the National Nuclear Security Administration have not commented on the meeting.

The White House has indicated 'positive indications' of a potential finalized deal; however, internal divides among Iranian leaders have continued.

"If the negotiations advance to the second phase, the team of experts that met with Witkoff and Kushner would have to develop a plan for the disposal of Iran's nuclear material, how to limit the enrichment program further, and how to verify compliance," Axios reported.

Jared Kushner's luxury resort hit with anti-corruption probe as protests explode: report

Jared Kushner's luxury coastal resort project in Albania was under investigation by the country's anti-corruption prosecutors amid growing protests against the development, Politico reported on Monday.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law is the head of Affinity Partners, a private equity firm behind a project slated to include 10,000 hotel rooms located "on the uninhabited Adriatic island of Sazan and several hundred hectares of the Vjosa-Narta protected landscape, a sensitive coastal wetland area home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites," according to Politico.

Albania's special anti-corruption prosecution office, SPAK, said it had launched a probe into the change in land ownership in 2024, as questions have been raised about the land's protected status.

Kushner is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and has a multi-billion dollar real estate portfolio. He has been serving as the president's special envoy for peace and has been involved in negotiations involving Iran, Gaza and the war in Ukraine, which has raised eyebrows among critics over potential conflicts of interest.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has confirmed to Politico that the negotiations around the project were ongoing. He has "denied that the project encroaches on a protected wildlife reserve and said that the final proposal has yet to be submitted and the environmental study is not complete."

Protests have broken out in the country over the project since May, with people calling for the project to be halted and to protect the area. Activists have also called for the prime minister to resign.

Some of the demonstrations have become violent.

"Footage emerged — after protests Saturday — of private security guards appearing to assault and then drag a protester along a cliff, while threatening other demonstrators who attempted to remove fences and halt construction," Politico reported.

Self-promoting rising star in Trump White House benched after 'rankling' top aides: report

A top Trump aide will have to give up working with top advisors dealing with the wars in Ukraine and Iran, according to a new report.

Josh Gruenbaum was a former advisor for Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. A report by Politico on Wednesday quoted anonymous sources who said that "he fell out of favor" and had a "penchant for self-promotion and an abrasive work style" that "rankled some of Trump's other senior advisers."

Gruenbaum, 40, was exiled to Trump's Board of Peace, where he'll be focused on Gaza. He first worked alongside Kushner and Witkoff on the Gaza ceasefire deal.

According to Politico, "he flooded various administration officials with phone calls and was seen as very focused on how his name appeared in stories and official communications."

One anonymous source said that, "While Kushner and Witkoff remain Gruenbaum’s allies, the pair didn’t stand in the way of paring back his duties."

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly confirmed that Gruenbaum "will continue to advance the President's agenda" on the Board of Peace, Politico reported.

Meanwhile, "Gruenbaum referred questions to the White House."

‘I think it says something’: Analyst reveals what Vance’s absence in Iran talks could mean

President Donald Trump has sent envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad, Pakistan, this weekend for continued negotiations with Iran — but Vice President JD Vance did not plan to attend — something a CNN analyst said was telling in a report on Friday.

Vance, who previously attended marathon talks with the Iranians earlier this month, will be on standby and available to join by phone or travel if need be, CNN reported. Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's Speaker of the Parliament, who the White House views as Vance's counterpart and head of the Iranian delegation, will not attend either.

The timeline for the ongoing war has remained uncertain, with Trump telling reporters on Thursday "Don't rush me."

CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel signaled that the Iran strategy has appeared to shift within the White House.

"Let's be hopeful. Let's be optimistic. It's moving in in the right direction," Gangel said.

"I think everyone would like this war to end," she added. "But we've seen a roller coaster here. And in when dealing with the Iranians, I've been told over and over by intelligence experts, they're really good at talking. And they will talk and talk until the cows come home. But getting to substantive negotiations is a whole other matter. So let's see where this goes. I do think it's interesting that Vice President Vance is not going. I think it says something about where we think this is at the moment."

Members of Vance's team were reportedly already in Pakistan for the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Iranians have not yet confirmed if they will meet with the American delegation.

Trump rocked by Iran collapse as pressure mounts to overhaul team: analysis

President Donald Trump has been urged to change tactics in how he is dealing with Iranian officials looking to end the war.

The Trump administration's attempts to broker peace with Iran have ended in complete failure, with Vice President JD Vance announcing the collapse of negotiations on April 12, 2026.

Political analyst Sabrina Haake suggested the administration must look to more qualified personnel when brokering peace with the Middle Eastern country. Writing in her Substack, Haake suggested drafting new experts and negotiators to speak with Iran.

She wrote, "To resolve the highly complex quagmire he created, Trump needs negotiators steeped in Iran’s history, geography, culture, and technological capacities.

"But he’s relying on loyalists: VP Vance, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, all of whom lack the expertise and diplomatic experience needed to achieve an agreement. Two diplomats from the failed negotiations immediately identified Trump’s problem: choosing negotiators for personal loyalty instead of subject-matter expertise."

Foreign policy expert Karim Sadjadpour suggested Trump had thrown Vice President JD Vance under the bus with failed peace talks between the US and Iran.

He wrote, "When toppling the Iranian regime appeared within reach to him, Trump wanted the credit; now, sensing the war’s unpopularity, he is content to let Vance own the outcome."

Trump has also prematurely declared victory over Iran, which the Preparedness and Politics Substack has suggested will make it harder to actually broker peace. They wrote, "For shipping markets and insurance underwriters, the political contradiction is itself risk.

"When the US president publicly declares victory while ten thousand US personnel actively enforce a blockade that the other party calls illegal and threatens to retaliate against, the contradiction is a reason to keep rates high.

"If Iran reneges on the opening — as the April 7-8 pattern suggests is entirely possible — lifting the blockade in response becomes harder, not easier, because Trump has already claimed the situation is resolved."

'Can’t send the two real estate developers': Top Dem slams Trump's Iran negotiators

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) spoke out on Saturday against special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner taking part in Middle East diplomatic efforts amid the ongoing Iran war, The Hill reported.

Witkoff and Kushner were among diplomats and leaders meeting for trilateral talks discussing how to end the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a conversation with Rev. Al Sharpton, Kelly described his concerns about the ongoing war.

"You can’t send the two real estate developers to negotiate a peace with another region," Kelly said at the National Action Network Convention in New York City.

Kelly also criticized Trump for lacking a plan and not consulting allies about the military attack, arguing Trump had "alienated our allies."

"There is one person responsible for closing the Strait of Hormuz. It’s Donald Trump," Kelly said. "What Donald Trump taught the Iranians is they now have a strategic asset that they can exploit for decades to our detriment."

Sharpton asked Kelly what Trump should try to do next to restore relationships with international allies.

"You’ve got to build this, these relationships back up with our allies in the region and with NATO, and then you got to get the Iranians to the table and have a serious discussion," Kelly said.

Both Witkoff and Kushner have led negotiation efforts throughout Trump's second administration. Both men have been involved in key conversations around the Russia-Ukraine war, ceasefire in Gaza and Iran's nuclear program.

They joined the U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, which was meeting Saturday with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, for the first in-person discussion since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Negotiations were slated to try to ease the growing tensions between the countries and prepare for an end to the conflict after a two-week ceasefire was reached this week, although it has shown signs of unraveling.

Jared Kushner has turned into a roadblock for Trump stuck in Iran quagmire: expert

Donald Trump's Iran war trouble is getting worse in the hands of Jared Kushner, according to a political analyst, noting the Trump's son-in-law's objectionable connections elsewhere.

Kushner was drafted into peace talks with Iran alongside United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. It appears Kushner, the husband of Ivanka Trump, is causing more trouble than it is worth for the president, as the potential peace agreement with Iran could be at risk, analyst Hussein Ibish claimed in a column for MS NOW..

Both Kushner and Witkoff's background is in Manhattan real estate, not negotiations with world leaders, and this could be a bigger problem for Trump's Iran quagmire than the president first thought. Ibish, writing for MSNow, explained, "Kushner also developed strong ties to Qatar, especially during the boycott of that country by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

"But Kushner’s strongest Middle East ties are to Netanyahu, a close family friend. When the Israeli prime minister was a mid-level diplomat in New York, he reportedly used to frequently stay overnight at the Kushner home, even bedding down in Jared’s own room, with the young real estate scion dispatched to another quarter.

"Kushner’s ties to the Israeli far right are, therefore, not merely ideological and deeply religious — they are profoundly personal. It seems impossible to suggest that all of this could simply be put aside, making room for impartiality and sound judgment."

Those ties to Netanyahu have proved troublesome for Kushner's negotiating position, given the US and Israel opted to strike Iran at the start of March. Iranian peace talks may be at risk, Ibish claimed, because the leadership in the Middle East knows of the close ties Kushner has elsewhere.

"Iran’s institutionalized leadership is about as untrustworthy a group as can be identified on the global stage," he wrote. "But, when it comes to Kushner — and Witkoff, for that matter — for once they may have a point.

"Asking Tehran to negotiate with Steve and Jared, while the latter is fronting for his old family friend, Netanyahu, and roaming the Middle East looking for billions in foreign investments for his fund, may be a very Trumpy demand.

"But while Vance may not be the ideal substitute, the current negotiating team is about as inappropriate a pair for this task that could be identified among the approximately 240 million adult U.S. citizens. Even the Trump administration can do better."

'There’s no chance': Irate Iran officials refuse to speak with top Trump negotiators

Iranian officials have apparently refused to continue talks with President Donald Trump's two closest allies behind key negotiations in the Middle East, according to reports on Tuesday.

Negotiations involving Iran, Pakistan and the United States were expected to take place in Islamabad as early as this week or next; however, Trump's picks to discuss the ongoing military conflict were reportedly not wanted at the table, The Guardian reported.

Instead, another top Trump administration official was under consideration to join the talks: Vice President JD Vance.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has suggested his country would be willing to help "facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks" and end the conflict.

"Pakistani sources said the US vice-president, JD Vance, was being put forward as a probable chief negotiator from the US side if talks went ahead," according to The Guardian. "Iranian sources have said they would refuse to sit down with Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, or Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who led the nuclear negotiations with Iran before the war."

Kushner and Witkoff were involved in talks with Iran prior to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched on Feb. 28. Since the war started, Iranian officials have reportedly decided they do not want to engage with the two men. Iran has suggested that the two knowingly misled Iranian officials during prior negotiations and were planning the attack all along, despite the closed-door conversations.

"With the previous negotiating team, there’s no chance," one diplomatic source told The Guardian. "The Iranian side regards the request for negotiations as another round of deception for the US-Israeli regime to find out a loophole to aggravate the strikes again."