The author of the explosive best-selling book detailing life inside Donald Trump’s White House says he believes Jared Kushner will be indicted in the “bloodiest time in this administration”.
Speaking at a Waterstones event in London on Friday evening, Fire and Fury author Michael Wolff suggested the ongoing Russia investigation could trigger the President’s biggest crisis yet before November.
While discussing the incredibly high turnover rate of White House staff, host Armando Iannucci asked Wolff what he thought of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who are among the most influential people in the President’s inner circle.
Describing the couple as “the most entitled people on earth”, Wolff claimed they have “not one scintilla of relevant experience to this job. Not one. And suddenly they are the most important people in the world.”
Iannucci said: “Do you think if the chips were down, Trump will, in the end, fire his own daughter?”
Wolff replied: “I think that there is a pretty good possibility at this point that Jared will be indicted.
“So the more direct question is will Trump throw his son-in-law under the bus, and then the corollary to that is, will his son-in-law throw his father-in-law under the bus?
“And I think the answer to both of those questions is ‘yes’.”
Wolff was then asked if he thought we will ever “get to the end of a Trump administration”.
“Yes, we will get to the end of it, when that end is...” he said.
“I think you can think out to [mid-term elections in] November and I think now until then may well be the bloodiest time in this administration.”
Trump said on Friday he will leave it to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to settle a security clearance dispute involving Kushner, but left little doubt he wants the case settled in a way that allows Kushner to keep his job.
Problems with security clearance for White House aides surfaced this month in fallout over the abrupt resignation of White House staff secretary Rob Porter over allegations of domestic abuse against two former wives, reports Reuters.
Kushner is one of dozens of aides operating under an interim clearance, not yet fully cleared due to complications in their backgrounds. In the case of Kushner, a wealthy New York businessman, his financial links have taken a long time to examine.
Kelly set Friday as the deadline for adjudicating the cases of Kushner and others in clearance limbo. A source familiar with the matter said earlier this week that the situation had caused tensions between Kushner and Kelly.
Trump, at a joint news conference with visiting Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, said Kelly “respects Jared a lot and General Kelly will make that call” on how to resolve the issue.
With Kelly seated nearby, Trump said: “I have no doubt he will make the right decision.”
Trump heaped praise on Kushner, a leader in the administration’s attempts to resurrect moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. He noted that Kushner does not receive a salary.