On Monday’s (Oct. 26) episode of “Fox & Friends,” Jared Kushner discussed working with Ice Cube on the Platinum Plan and Donald Trump’s agenda for Black Americans. The White House senior advisor and son-in-law to Trump found himself in hot water after the episode aired, as some said he appeared to suggest that racial divides in wealth and economic opportunity are a matter of Black Americans “wanting” to be successful rather than the hurdles of institutional racism.
“The thing we’ve seen in the Black community, which is mostly Democrat, is that President Trump’s policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they’re complaining about,” Kushner said. “But he can’t want them to be successful more than they want to be successful.”
On Twitter, those critical of Kushner’s comments reminded him of his own career as the White House senior advisor. Kushner was hired by his father-in-law, Trump, and had no formal job experience for the position.
Elsewhere in the segment, Kushner also accused professional athletes of “virtue signaling” after the death of George Floyd.
“They would go on Instagram and cry or put a slogan on their jersey or write something on a basketball court, and quite frankly that was doing more to polarize the country than it was to bring people forward,” he said.
In response to the interview, Brandon Gassaway of the Democratic National Committee said, “This dismissive approach to the issues that Black voters care about is indicative of Trump’s callousness and disregard for the lives of Black people. We cannot afford another four years of a White House that does not take our voices seriously and tells us to be grateful for whatever scraps are leftover from the bargaining table.”
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also released a statement after the interview, saying, “It’s disgusting to see internet trolls taking Senior Advisor Jared Kushner out of context as they try to distract from President Trump’s undeniable record of accomplishment for the Black community.”
“From criminal justice reform and record HBCU funding to record low Black unemployment and record high income increases, there is simply no disputing that President Trump accomplished what Democrats merely talked about,” she said. “Those who have worked with President Trump have seen success on these joint objectives, unlike with previous failed Democrat politicians.”
See a clip from Kushner’s interview below.