It’s been almost 2 1/2 years since Donald Trump arrived at the White House along with a large contingent of Trump organization employees and outside family consultants. If you did a little research, you would discover that most of the old Trump empire has long since departed Washington. Former Trump bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman is the ambassador to Israel, but then of course we have Ivanka and Jared Kushner.
With 30 months at the center of power, it’s fair to evaluate whether these two family members have made any impact on the American political system and whether our country would be better served if they went back to New York and pursued their respective careers. To best decide the value of two family members inside the White House, it’s worthwhile examining the history of presidential children and what roles if any they \played during their fathers’ terms in office.
By last count, since the days of Harry Truman right up to Barack Obama, 25 children have inhabited the White House. Some lived there and many stopped by just for holidays and family events. Of the 25 only two, George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, opted to pursue political careers. One became president and the other governor of Florida.
There is no question that many of the presidential children were able to capitalize on their prominent names. Margaret Truman was a classical singer and her name brought her notoriety. Ron Reagan is a television commentator and Jenna Bush Hager can be seen on a daily television show. They have every right to capitalize on their names and neither was part of the president’s inner circle. In fact, if you look at the roster of White House children over the years, the names may be familiar, but none of them have ever been formal policy advisers.
President Nixon had two daughters, Tricia and Julie. While they may have had White House wedding ceremonies, that was the extent of their visible events. President Carter had four children, William (Billy), Donnel, James III and Amy. Billy, a farmer, was better known for creating Billy Beer and running for local political office. If he created any notoriety, it wasn’t the kind that his father would brag about.
George H.W. Bush and Barbara had six children. Most would agree that it didn’t hurt to have the name Bush, but Neil, Dorothy, Pauline and Marvin went their own ways. Their daughter Robin died at age 3. Chelsea Clinton, the only child of Bill and Hillary, grew up in the White House but wasn’t old enough to be a part of the administration, nor did she ever show any interest in being an insider. The Obama children, Malia and Sasha, came to Washington as young children so no one expected them to become advisers.
Which brings us to the two Trump-in-house advisors, Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner. When the two of them moved to Washington, it was anticipated that they would be the moderating force that would keep President Trump from going off the political rails. People in and out of the White House breathed a hopeful sigh of relief, believing that the president would lean heavily on this handsome pair, for wisdom and anger control.
Many months have gone by and there is no question that their tenure in Washington has been a smashing success. According to recent media reports, during the year 2018, they have collectively earned $175 million from their combined business and real estate activities. How much of that income comes from Trump properties is yet to be determined, but it is fair to assume that some Trump empire monies have gone to Ivanka.
The high-level assignments given to Jared have produced only modest success. There has been no historic peace pact with Israel and its neighbors, nor will there ever be. No honest effort has been made to date to bring the warring sides together. As for Ivanka, there is little to claim as success. Their respective family businesses have prospered during their time in Washington, but that’s the sum and substance of their tenure in DC.
Absent some historic achievement in the next few months, maybe it’s time for the two kids to go back to the Manhattan social scene and spare us from their make-believe role of presidential pacifiers.
