Inside Jared Kushner's Tense Relationship With Chris Christie
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If you were at any point a member of the Trump administration, joining a book club is less "reading Jane Austen," and more "writing a memoir airing your various gripes about your former employer." Chris Christie became a member of this literary society in 2019 with his book "Let Me Finish," which detailed his time in the former president's orbit. But, unlike other GOP tell-alls, Donald Trump actually gets off quite lightly here — Christie's real vitriol is instead directed at Jared Kushner.
But what could the ex-president's son-in-law possibly have done to earn Christie's ire? Well, it turns out that Kushner and Christie have quite a long-running history together. One that's pretty shocking and sordid, to be honest.
Keep reading to find out what really happened between Kushner and Christie — and why the former governor of New Jersey believes that Ivanka Trump's husband orchestrated a "political hit job" on him.
Chris Christie blames Jared Kushner for his demotion
Donald's Trump administration had such a high turnover rate that it's a bit difficult to keep track of who held what position when. So, here's a quick recap: during the election cycle, then-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was appointed as head of the presidential transition team... only to be unceremoniously demoted just days after Trump won the election. The firing was reportedly carried out by Steve Bannon, who, after some prodding, allegedly admitted that "one person and one person only was responsible" for Christie's abrupt dismissal. That person, writes Christie, was none other than "Jared Kushner, still apparently seething over events that had occurred a decade ago," per The Guardian.
What on earth happened a decade ago that had Kushner "taking an axe to [Christie's] head with the boss," according to Bannon? Well... quite a lot, as it turns out. Per The New York Times, back in 2005, Charles Kushner, father of Jared and a multimillionaire real estate executive, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of "tax evasion, witness tampering, and illegal campaign donations." The elder Kushner also admitted to hiring sex worker to seduce his brother-in-law, taping their encounter, and sending the tape to his own sister as a way of securing her silence about his shady dealing, according to the NYT. You know, normal family stuff.
But what role did Christie play in this drama? Read on to find out.
Chris Christie has a peculiar gripe with Jared Kushner
When Jared Kushner's father was prosecuted, the U.S. attorney for New Jersey was none other than Chris Christie. In fact, he spearheaded the investigation that would eventually lead the elder Kushner to serve 14 months in federal prison. Calling it one of the "most loathsome, disgusting crimes" he ever prosecuted, Christie wanted to send the message that even the rich and powerful must face consequences for their crimes, per The New York Times. According to Christie, Kushner has never forgiven him for airing his family's dirty laundry, leading to what he deems in his book as a "political hit job," according to The Guardian.
While Kushner's alleged avenging of his father might seem petty, Christie didn't quite take the high road himself. Instead of attempting to harm Kushner politically, he opted for literary revenge: painting a harsh, unflattering picture of the former presidential senior advisor in his book. Also, and this seems important, he makes a point of sneering at Kushner's apparent love of healthy food, with Vanity Fair noting that he mentioned Kushner was eating his "typical salad" during a meeting.
Seems like Christie likes his revenge like Kushner presumably likes his salads — served cold.