3.5 stars

Overall Review

I’m pausing this book approximately a third in.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Jared, and will continue listening to every podcast he appears on. In fact, I’d love the opportunity to work with him one day.

The “origin story” of Jared Kushner was awesome. I loved learning about his upbringing, his family, the sort of person he is, and his eventual integration into the Trump family.

I also thought I’d love to learn about all the details of his time in the White House. This was a bit hit-or-miss.

His approach to policymaking in the Middle East was interesting because he truly approached it from first principles without bias. However, when we got into the politics and relationships between all the different people in the administration, it felt like I was being forced to listen to stories about people I don’t know or care about.

Overall, definitely recommend the intro to everyone, the takeaways to most, and the details to some.

Life & Upbringing

Anger is a choice. A simple but deep quote about self-control, self-reflection and actualization. Jared is both mature and wise beyond his years.

“As I laid in bed staring at the popcorn ceiling of my apartment, I realized that my anger wasn’t going to lead to anything productive. I was at a critical crossroads and had to make a choice. I could choose to be angry about things I could not control, or I could choose to help. I knew the answer immediately. I had to help my father.”

Life is a gift. As a Jew, I don’t ponder too much about the Holocaust, but I think this is applicable to anyone, anywhere:

“Life is a gift that can be taken from us in an instant.”

Running is like life. Just think about the next step. This is a pretty deep and philosophical moment, but one of the reasons I love it is because it shows how close Jared and his father were:

“During my senior year of high school, I woke up at 4.30 each morning to train with my dad for the New York City Marathon. I will never forget what he told me as we ran up the big hill at the north end of Central Park. Running is like life. When there’s a big hill at the end, don’t look up. Keep your head down and watch your feet. Don’t think about the top of the hill. Just think about your next step. Before you know it, you will achieve your goal and be at the top of the hill.”

Moving into the White House

No regrets. Very powerful paragraph where Jared contemplates if moving to Washington was the right call:

“After the 2016 election, Ivanka and I left behind our lives in New York and moved to Washington with our three young children. We knew we would face challenges, but we had no idea of the intensity of the storm that awaited us. It was probably better that we didn’t. Nothing could have prepared us for the ferociousness of Washington. The attacks, the investigations, the false and salacious media reports, and perhaps worst of all, the backstabbing within the West Wing itself. On several occasions, I wondered if Ivanka and I had made the wrong decision”

Meta learnings from the White House

Two key takeaways stood out to me from Jared’s time in the White House:

“1. It’s easy to make promises, but it’s hard to achieve results.”

“2. Political differences are not always as insurmountable as we think”

Rookie Mistake (30:05)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/92521982-d8e7-4c3f-b748-74e339f572c5

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner recounts a mistake when purchasing an apartment building.
  • He didn’t verify the number of units, which were illegally constructed, reducing revenue.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “I made plenty of mistakes. On one purchase, an historic apartment building at 82 Monroe Street, I took the seller at face value when he quoted the number of units in the building. But after I purchased it, I discovered that many of the apartment units were illegally constructed. The lower number of rentable units dramatically reduced the projected revenue and eliminated much of the return that I had told investors we would make. After looking at several scenarios, I concluded that to salvage the project, I had to convert the building into condominium units, a far more involved and extensive construction Project than I was anticipating. It took us longer, but we ultimately made a nice profit. The experience taught me the importance of conducting due diligence on every detail of a business deal, even those typically taken for granted. Growing up so close to my dad’s business, I had been immersed in real estate, but I learned that nothing could replace the experience of being responsible for an entire project, where I had to answer to investors, manage contractors, and keep tenants happy. I graduated from Harvard with honors, while making millions of”

Change of Heart (33:12)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/005ae4fd-0036-4588-9a30-a96a89540d23

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner initially wanted to be a prosecutor, inspired by the public policy focus of law school.
  • His father’s arrest and the prosecutor’s actions against his family caused him to reconsider this path.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “After my father’s arrest, however, as I watched a prosecutor inflict havoc and hardship on our family, I began to have second thoughts. I didn’t think I could do that to others. My father ultimately decided not to fight his case in court. He recognized that he had let his emotions get the better of him and felt that he had sinned before God and was ready to take responsibility for his actions. He knew that fighting the charges would be a painful five-year ordeal for our family and diminish morale at his company. He pleaded guilty and was willing to accept the consequences, which the judge decided would be two years in federal prison. In April 2005, during my second year of graduate school, I traveled with my parents to the federal prison in Montgomery, Alabama.”

Negotiating 666 Fifth Avenue (41:39)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/54cfc577-3ed5-4917-8442-61f465f836f4

Key points:

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “Silver and I ended up becoming close friends. I tried for three years to get them to sell the lease. Silver drove a hard bargain. Eventually, Stern made a good deal to give it up. We later sold the space to Inditex, the parent company of Zara, for $324 million, a record price per square foot. Navigating the fallout of 666 was the biggest challenge and learning experience of my business career. Being thrust into complex, high-stakes negotiations at a young age gave me unique training. I forged relationships with many of the titans in the industry, which proved invaluable moving forward. I did not win every negotiation, but I gained credibility by being honest about our difficult situation, offering constructive solutions, and seeking successful outcomes for all Parties. My goal was to increase the size of the pie rather than eliminate slices from it.”

Witnesses Headquarters Purchase (45:24)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/2b5fdd65-4368-424b-92f9-7d0430a7bd6b

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner bought the Jehovah’s Witnesses headquarters in Brooklyn by offering $375 million without an auction.
  • The Witnesses honored their word despite a higher offer, and the property’s value significantly increased after renovations.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “One of the best deals I made was purchasing the Jehovah’s Witnesses headquarters in Brooklyn. When I heard that they were selling, I called their representative, Dan Rice, and asked him to let me participate in their auction. Located on the river next to the Brooklyn Bridge, the properties were unbelievable. They were the best-run buildings I had ever toured. They were so clean you could eat off the floors. I went to the representative’s office that day and asked how much he wanted. He quoted $325 to $350 million. I told him I’d pay $375 million if he promised not to have an auction. He called his board, got approval, and shook my hand. The next day, a competitor offered him a higher number, but he said, Nope. We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses. We honor our word. He sold the property to me, and after renovations and rebranding, it is now worth close to a billion dollars. With every new purchase, I focused not on the last dollar, but on the next deal. I saw the potential in buildings that most people overlooked, and learned how to make that vision into”

Trump’s Political Intuition (01:04:25)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/92b9fdbd-a2f5-4a1c-9a64-3203685d55ab

Key points:

  • Trump understood the impact of globalist trade and immigration policies on citizens’ jobs and safety, something other politicians ignored.
  • This understanding, coupled with his media strategy, shifted public discourse.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “On Fifth Avenue, Trump understood intuitively what other politicians had long ignored. Citizens across the country were feeling the effects of globalist trade and immigration policies that jeopardized their jobs, safety, and very way of life. They were angry. This first of many media crises taught me what I later called the three rules of Trump. Number one, controversy elevates message. Number two, when you’re right, you fight. And number three, never apologize. Most politicians follow polls,”

Digital Ad Strategy (01:30:31)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/a9490ab5-c14f-4520-b216-e44ff21b1c12

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner and Brad Parscale ramped up their digital operation.
  • A tech company founder who purchased record amounts of digital advertising met with Parscale’s team.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “I learned that when Trump worried about details, he grew frustrated and distracted. When his team was running operations well, he was more focused on the strategy and message. A happy Trump was a winning Trump. I began working with Brad Parscale to ramp up our digital operation. I was connected to the founder of a tech company who had purchased record amounts of digital advertising, and he agreed to fly”

Digital Advertising Operation (01:30:42)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/831a3c98-4373-4269-8242-437bb3963c62

Key points:

  • To improve Trump’s focus, Jared Kushner worked with Brad Parscale to enhance the digital operation.
  • A tech founder directed Parscale’s team to work 24/7, setting up a trading floor-style operation.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “A happy Trump was a winning Trump. I began working with Brad Parscale to ramp up our digital operation. I was connected to the founder of a tech company who had purchased record amounts of digital advertising, and he agreed to fly down to San Antonio to meet with Parscale and his team. He arrived a few minutes early and asked for Parscale, who was in the conference room having a team meeting. Not one to waste time, the tech company founder walked right into the conference room. Who are your top three advertising designers? He asked Pascal. Without waiting for an answer, he began barking orders to everyone else in the room as if he were a drill sergeant. He sent one person to buy air mattresses so that the staff could start working in shifts 24 hours a day. You only have 150 days until the end of the campaign. You are far behind the competition, and you are going to need every second between now and then to make up ground, he said. We set up a trading floor-style operation, where the advertising teams competed against each other to drive engagement and raise donations for the campaign. To run the operation, we tapped Gary Coby, the Republican National Committee’s most impressive digital expert, and”

Tech Founder’s Campaign Takeover (01:31:01)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/3d9edb9f-5f54-468f-bd89-813203b5b7d0

Key points:

  • A tech company founder, after purchasing record amounts of digital advertising, visited Brad Parscale’s team and immediately started issuing orders.
  • He emphasized the urgency to make up ground, urging the team to work 24/7 to maximize their efforts.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “He arrived a few minutes early and asked for Parscale, who was in the conference room having a team meeting. Not one to waste time, the tech company founder walked right into the conference room. Who are your top three advertising designers? He asked Pascal. Without waiting for an answer, he began barking orders to everyone else in the room as if he were a drill sergeant. He sent one person to buy air mattresses so that the staff could start working in shifts 24 hours a day. You only have 150 days until the end of the campaign. You are far behind the competition, and you are going to need every second between now and then to make up ground, he said. We set up a trading floor-style operation, where the advertising teams competed against each other to drive engagement and raise donations for the campaign. To run the operation, we tapped Gary Coby, the Republican National Committee’s most impressive digital expert, and one of the few people in the Republican establishment who wanted Trump to win. Each day, the team that achieved the best return on investment received additional money to buy a larger share of ads the following day. The teams tested everything, down to whether the Donate Here button should be green or red, or whether an ad performed better with an eagle, an American flag, or a picture of Trump. This highly competitive environment produced staggering results. Under Pascal and Kobe’s leadership, the advertising teams tested more than 100,000 ad combinations each day, gathering real-time public opinion data that preceded polling by several Days, and informed the campaign about which messages resonated most with voters. We quickly saw that ads did better when they were focused on Trump’s pro-America policies, like building the wall, rather than on attacking other candidates. In total,”

Trump’s Advice to Lewandowski (01:35:05)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/cec0fd4e-3d5e-4233-8cde-79dd74978a18

Key points:

  • Trump told Lewandowski to get his act together or go home, emphasizing that Jared Kushner was not his psychiatrist.
  • Trump asserted his importance to Lewandowski’s success, reminding him of other campaign managers who weren’t as fortunate.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “I’ll handle it tomorrow, Trump told me. The next morning, Trump called Lewandowski and said, look, you’re a very good campaign manager, but there are also 16 other really good campaign managers who are sitting at home now Because they didn’t have me as their client. Jared is not your psychiatrist. I am not your psychiatrist. You either get your act together or go home. 6. I”

Crafting Trump’s Convention Speech (01:40:31)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/585e9501-7179-455b-af3b-8c031e10be99

Key points:

  • Manafort suggested Trump’s acceptance speech be packed with poll-tested slogans, spending $300,000 on a pollster.
  • Trump hated the initial draft and dictated a new speech to Stephen Miller, his primary speechwriter.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “We wanted to avoid their mistakes. Leading up to the Republican National Convention in July, Manafort had suggested that Trump’s acceptance speech should be packed with poll-tested slogans and themes. We later learned that Manafort had spent roughly $300,000 to have a pollster named Tony Fabrizio craft the message. To draft the speech, Manafort called upon Stephen Miller, a former top aide to Jeff Sessions, who I had installed as the campaign’s primary speechwriter and policy”

Tweaking Trump’s Speech (01:42:39)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/34f71de0-2bc2-4993-a3af-602b4aaa2da6

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner and Stephen Miller reorganized Trump’s speech for logical flow and tweaked lines to avoid backlash. Trump has a near photographic memory and would notice any changes.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “Stephen and I printed out the speech that Trump had dictated and laid the 22 pages out on a large conference room table in Trump Tower. Trump has a near photographic memory, so we knew he would notice if so much as a comma was out of place. If we tried too hard to change his words, he would double down. So we”

Breaking the Sabbath (01:58:45)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/8091cd1c-f416-4e5a-80ca-77e224fbc78a

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner broke from observing the Sabbath for the first time since his marriage to help Trump prepare an apology after the Access Hollywood tape was released.
  • He regretted breaking his word, but he believed in forgiveness.

Source text:

“Speaker 1” "" “It was the first time since Ivanka and I were married that I broke from observing the Sabbath. I regretted my father-in words, but as I had learned from my own family, forgiveness means not defining people based solely on their past transgressions. The next day,”

(2/9) Breaking History - A White House Memoir

Total snips in this part: 11

Obama’s Initial Impression of Trump (09:28)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/282237a2-1829-44f7-aab5-160968ccaf20

Key points:

  • Obama kicked off his first meeting with Trump with a backhanded compliment. He noted Trump’s ability to be on every side of an issue, making it hard to know where he stood.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “He recalled that Obama kicked off their meeting with a backhanded compliment. I’ve been watching your speeches for the past years, and I must say that you are an amazing politician. On so many issues, I still can’t figure out where you stand. Are you for guns? Are you against guns? Are you pro-life? Are you pro-choice? You have this amazing ability to be on every side of an issue. Obama warned”

Chris Christie Transition Role (14:58)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/7d8d89f2-f6ab-4be9-8264-6b37b0343dcf

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner confronted Chris Christie about his handling of his father’s case, accusing him of being overzealous and causing pain to his family.
  • Despite past grievances, Jared offered to support Christie in his transition role to help the country.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Between Chris and me, if we’re going to work together, I should express that I felt the way you handled my father’s case was overzealous, and it brought serious hurt to me and my family. Christy explained that he had just been doing his job, that my dad had committed a crime, and that it wasn’t personal. Well, respectfully, I have a different point of view on that, I said. If it wasn’t personal for you, then how come you challenged my father’s release date after he had served his sentence? I hope you can understand how brutal it is for a family to have a loved one in prison. The only solace is having a date when your nightmare will end. When the prosecutor comes back and challenges the release date, and it gets delayed indefinitely, that’s devastating to a family. So don’t tell me it wasn’t personal, because if it wasn’t personal, you would have let him come home on time. You know the crime your father committed was terrible, Christy started to say. Then Trump interjected. Chris, it was a family dispute. Look, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, I said. Donald wants you to do a job. You have my word. I’ve put that in the past. And I’ll do everything I can to support you in that effort. I’m here to help. This is about an opportunity to help the country. This is about service, and we can take the personal situation that has happened and put it aside, because that’s not relevant right now to what we’re doing.”

Bannon’s Panic (16:36)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/4d71563d-44b0-45f6-8d65-2eedc469d408

Key points:

  • Steve Bannon called Jared Kushner in a panic, saying that Christy was trying to get on the plane to convince Donald Trump to make him chief of staff.
  • Bannon thought that Christie was angling to slot his political cronies into the most important appointments.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Called me in a panic. Christy is trying to get on the plane, Bannon said. We’ve got to keep him off. He wants to talk Donald into letting him be chief of staff. We can’t let that happen. The transition effort is a train wreck. He’s angling to slot his closest political cronies, including anti-Trump establishment types, into the most important appointments, regardless of their qualifications. Both Bannon and Stephen Mnuchin reviewed Christie’s transition materials and believed they failed to meet proper vetting, research, and professional standards for hiring key Personnel. They told Trump and me that Christie was unprepared for the task. Plus, Bannon added, Chris is politically radioactive. He has an 18% approval rating and is enmeshed in the Bridgegate scandal. Trump shouldn’t have to carry his baggage. Trump didn’t want his incoming administration, tainted by the legal mess in New Jersey. I want a nice, clean Mike Pence administration, not a corrupt New Jersey administration, he told us. In fairness to Christie, during the summer months, Trump had made clear that he did not want to focus on the transition before the election. At one point, when I told Trump that I had attended a three-hour transition meeting and assured him that Christie and I were working well together, my father-in gave clear instructions. Don’t spend another minute on the transition. Romney spent all this time on the transition with his binders of women, and he lost the election. Spend all your time on the campaign, and if we win, we will figure it out. So, Christie”

Kissinger’s Advice (20:53)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/05d3e616-61d9-455a-a4a5-d431c947b9ec

Key points:

  • Henry Kissinger advised Kushner that Trump’s election made foreign leaders reassess their relationships with the U.S.
  • Kissinger advised him to be careful about who he interacts with, as these relationships are valuable.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Months earlier, I had met Henry Kissinger, the historic former Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. The advice he had given me then rang even truer now. Trump is talking about a lot of critical issues that have been ignored, which is making foreign leaders nervous. Don’t reassure them. Right now, they’re all doing reassessments. They are taking inventory of their relationship with America and determining what they have that they don’t want to lose and what they are willing to give up to keep it. That puts the United States in a better negotiating position if you win. He further warned me to, be careful who you interact with in every country. A relationship with you is valuable currency in a capital city. Select carefully whom you want to give that power to. In one of Trump’s many congratulatory calls with foreign leaders, he spoke with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. Abe told Trump that he would love to meet. Honored, Trump invited him to visit Trump Tower. Soon after, I received a call from Obama’s chief of staff, Dennis McDonough, who explained that typically, a president-elect declines meetings with foreign leaders out of deference To the current commander-in One president at a time, he told me. I relayed the message to Trump. Forget protocols, he said. It’s not a big deal. It’s just a meeting. If the leader of Japan wants to travel halfway across the world to see me, I am happy to meet with him. Trump also took a call”

Meeting with Saudi Delegation (24:01)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/eb38d20a-9e42-42b3-95e9-086630434e95

Key points:

  • John Hess and Steve Schwartzman asked Jared Kushner to meet with Saudi officials to strengthen US relations after Obama.
  • Kushner and Bannon told the Saudis to stop funding terror, improve women’s rights, pay for their military, and work with Israel.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Hess Corporation Chief Executive John Hess and Blackstone Group founder Steve Schwartzman asked me to meet with several high-ranking Saudi officials who were eager to strengthen Their relationship with the United States after the disaster in the Middle East with the previous administration. When Flynn, Bannon, and I met in New York with a small Saudi delegation, led by Dr. Fahad bin Abdullah Tounsi, they explained that they had a fraught dynamic with Obama over his positions on a number of challenges in the region, including Syria, ISIS, Iran, and Yemen, And were anxious to begin a new and hopefully more productive relationship with our administration. Bannon and I were tough. We told the Saudis that they needed to stop funding terror, improve their record on women’s rights, pay for their own military, and begin taking steps toward working with Israel. We weren’t interested in building the relationship if they weren’t committed to making real progress on these goals. Fahad assured”

Secret Service Bathroom Access (37:59)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/6e3a231a-8163-41cf-8370-4c30b6118764

Key points:

  • The Secret Service declined Kushner’s offer to access their restroom, preferring a larger space for a command post.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Years later, in January of 2021, the press wrongly reported that we would not allow the Secret Service to use a bathroom in our home. This was one of many false reports. When I offered to set up a way for the agents to access our home and use the restroom, the leader of our detail declined.”

Bannon’s White House Incompatibility (53:23)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/ce643230-c729-4dad-922a-0d6dcdcb7f83

Key points:

  • Bannon’s campaign fighting skills made him toxic in the White House.
  • He positioned himself as the keeper of the Trump flame despite joining late in the campaign.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “The same skills that made Bannon valuable as a fighter during the campaign made him toxic in the White House. Even though he was only with the campaign for the final 88 days, he positioned himself as the keeper of the Trump flame.”

Sport Coat in a Warzone (01:05:33)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/6776373c-46fb-40f7-b702-e820c65054e6

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner wore a sport coat and sunglasses to a warzone in Iraq and didn’t realize his flak jacket covered part of his name, creating a meme.
  • Later, Trump joked that military leaders may be good at killing but don’t understand money after they requested a budget increase.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “I clearly had missed the memo on the dress code, and Saturday Night Live and Jimmy Fallon were not going to let me forget it. Even Ivanka still pokes fun at me for this one. When we met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, he asked to see me one-on The Prime Minister took seriously Trump’s public statements that he wanted countries to pay a larger Share of the defense cost. Al-Abadi said that he was willing to pay something for U.S. Protection, but essentially hoped for the cheapest deal. We probably could have gotten 20% of Iraq’s oil revenues in exchange for our military support. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis thought Trump was crazy for suggesting such a proposition and stalled the discussion indefinitely. In another instance, Mattis and his leadership team came to talk to the president about their budget and claimed that $603 billion, the largest request since 2012, wasn’t enough to Keep the country safe. They needed $609 billion to achieve military readiness. So with 1% more, you are military ready, but with 1% less, you’re not? Trump queried, skeptically. After the brass had filed out, Trump pulled me aside and”

Secretary of State (01:08:38)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/172582b2-99ba-456d-9c02-036371f8173a

Key points:

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “His lack of a pre-existing relationship with Trump and his lack of alignment with the president’s policy goals. A secretary of state becomes useless the instant his foreign counterparts know he doesn’t speak for the president or have influence in the decision-making process. Tillerson and I worked”

Withholding Statements (01:53:59)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/c66d2101-d675-4896-9932-db12c5e37af4

Key points:

  • Before releasing a statement, ensure your legal team reviews all relevant facts.
  • It’s essential to allow them to conduct a thorough investigation to avoid unintended consequences.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “I wouldn’t do that, she said. When I asked why, she responded, we’re going through your tens of thousands of emails, and I found one email that you’re going to want to see. I know it’s painful now, but my job is for you to get to the other end in good shape. I’m thorough. I’m expensive. But there’s a reason people use me. And you don’t want to put out any statement until I’ve reviewed all the facts. Well, what does the email say? I inquired. I’d rather show it to you in person.”

Dowd’s Loyalty (02:02:25)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/d32833be-471c-49cd-9f55-818a1b4e2321

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner recounts confiding in John Dowd about his concerns regarding people around the president.
  • Dowd revealed that McGann, Priebus, and Bannon had separately tried to get Jared and Ivanka ousted, solidifying Dowd’s support for them.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Tell me about Ty Cobb, I began. He’s a great lawyer. Do you trust him? Yeah, I trust him. It feels like there are so many people surrounding the president who don’t have his best interests in mind, I continued. They are causing more problems than they are solving. Look, our lives would have been so much easier if we had stayed in New York, but we decided to come to Washington to help the president succeed. We didn’t come here to fight with people and play political games. We care about him, and we care about our country. Dowd, a former Marine and retired litigator who believed in Trump and saw this chance to work for the President as his final tour of duty, probed me with questions. I answered each one honestly and took him through the facts of my Russia case. After about ten minutes, he looked at me and said, You know, from the moment I got here, McGann, Priebus, and Bannon each came up to me individually and said that you and Ivanka were the Problem and that everything would be resolved if I was able to get you out. But I think I get it now. You’re the only ones who actually care about the president. I see what these self-serving bastards are trying to do. I’m on to them. I’ve got you back. And I’m going to get every single one of them. I was later told that McGann, Priebus, and Bannon had drafted my resignation letter and were pushing the president to get me to sign it.”

(3/9) Breaking History - A White House Memoir

Total snips in this part: 13

Effective People in Government (12:21)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/73597df3-e723-4fc4-85ef-bdcd4c88b64a

Key points:

  • Most people in government are there for the right reasons but remain unknown. They’re focused on their work, not leaking information.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Most of the time, no one knows about them because they are busy doing their job, not leaking to the press. The other book that most helped me was Sun Tzu’s Art of War, the ancient military manual written by a Chinese general. I learned”

Sun Tzu’s Lessons (12:29)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/e37494dd-5f9b-4cac-8c3e-d4f5fe275394

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner learned from Sun Tzu’s Art of War to first secure oneself from defeat before seeking to defeat the enemy.
  • He realized he was too exposed politically and needed to rebuild strength before acting.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “The other book that most helped me was Sun Tzu’s Art of War, the ancient military manual written by a Chinese general. I learned three invaluable lessons from Sun Tzu. First, he writes, the good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. I was too exposed politically. I needed”

Short-Term Pacts (17:53)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/a22b98f1-570f-4c84-b643-777ff75f3df8

Key points:

  • Prioritize short-term agreements and changes to the status quo over pursuing permanent peace deals to bypass challenging domestic politics.
  • According to Kissinger, you always have to run the foreign policy in the White House; otherwise, you will never get anything done.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “But if you can get rivals to agree to a short-term pact, or even a change of the status quo, it will last. Kissinger also warned me to resist efforts to run foreign policy out of the State Department. You always have to run the foreign policy in the White House, he said. If the White House loses foreign policy to the State Department, you will never get anything done. After we arrived”

Bibi and Great Expectations (31:21)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/f8e253c0-1258-4a27-b9a6-7f36175b282c

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner recounts when Bibi Netanyahu stayed at his house and read ‘Great Expectations’.
  • Netanyahu wanted to take the book, but it had a sentimental inscription from Kushner’s girlfriend.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “I had met the Israeli Prime Minister many years earlier when he spent a weekend with my family on one of his trips to the United States. At the time, he was a private citizen and was speaking around the world. My father, who met Bibi through his support of pro-Israel causes, invited him to stay at our home in New Jersey while he was in town. B.B. Stayed in my bedroom, so I was relegated to the basement, where I slept with his security guards on pull-out couches. Jet-lagged, B.B. Couldn’t sleep, so he pulled a book off my shelf. Great Expectations, the classic novel by Charles Dickens, and got halfway through it. The next morning he asked if he could take the book to finish it on the road. Ordinarily I would have been happy to give my book to the Israeli leader, but this book was a gift. I flipped to the front page and showed him the inscription. It was from my girlfriend at the time. B.B. Smiled and graciously left it behind. When we met in the Prime Minister’s office on June 21, B.B. Expressed his thanks for the President’s recent visit. He was grateful that I had worked to defend Israel at the United Nations during the transition, and was relieved that the United States was once again supporting the Jewish state after Eight years of strained relations under the Obama administration. When I brought up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Bibi thought we should delay working on the issue. He had survived as Prime Minister for eleven years by appealing to his conservative base and opposing a Palestinian state. This is not the right time, he said. He went on to explain that he didn’t want Israelis to think that he was using peace negotiations to distract from an ongoing government investigation. This is a high priority for President Trump, I said, and if we’re going to work with you on Israel’s many requests, we need Israel to work with us on this. Bibi reluctantly agreed.” "" “As we drove from Jerusalem to Ramallah, Greenblatt reminded me, don’t say that we’re for a two-state solution because it means different things to different people. It was good advice. And I decided to avoid the term until we had defined what it meant to be a state.”

MBZ’s Observation (45:48)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/e64cc36e-fb7e-4fe2-8f4d-e323705086e0

Key points:

  • MBZ observed that Jared Kushner was different because he asked questions and tried to understand their perspectives.
  • MBZ believed they would make peace in the region.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Before we departed, MBZ made one more comment. The United States typically sent three types of people to conduct diplomacy, he said. The first were people who fell asleep in meetings. The second were people who read talking points with no ability to converse. The third were people who came and tried to convince them to do things that were not in their interests. He observed that I was different. I was the first person to come asking questions and really trying to understand their perspectives. He believed we would make peace in the region. I was honored by MBZ’s observation, and I never forgot”

Kelly Shoves Ivanka (01:02:45)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/1043731f-48bb-42fe-a371-5c0bdecc295c

Key points:

  • John Kelly shoved Ivanka in the hallway after a contentious meeting, revealing his true character.
  • He later apologized, which Ivanka accepted, marking the only time Kelly visited their West Wing office.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Ivanka was walking down the main hallway in the West Wing when she passed him. Unaware of his heated state of mind, she said, Hello, Chief. Kelly shoved her out of the way and stormed by. She wasn’t hurt and didn’t make a big deal about the altercation, but in his rage, Kelly had shown his true character. An hour later, he came to the second floor and paid a visit to Ivanka’s office to offer a meek apology, which she accepted. Ivanka’s chief of staff, Julie Radford, had been meeting with Ivanka and heard the apology. It was the first and only time that Ivanka’s staff saw Kelly visit their second-floor corner of the West Wing. When Trump hired Kelly, he asked him to be the West Wing’s four-star general, and Kelly took that request way too literally. Trump was an unorthodox president who thrived on hearing from multiple viewpoints when making decisions. After Kelly came in, Trump joked that his office became so quiet and empty that he missed the action. Kelly cared more about controlling the process than producing results. Trump cared way more about results than process. Assistant to the president, Chris Liddell, had”

Ivanka’s Diplomacy (01:08:30)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/d5a94c0a-285e-4f4a-96a9-8fa621e2e862

Key points:

  • Ivanka Kushner skillfully negotiated with Senators Susan Collins and Bob Corker, who were initially at odds with President Trump.
  • Her efforts were crucial for passing tax reform, which included provisions to double the child tax credit.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Through many visits to their offices, dinner conversations at our house, and long phone calls, Ivanka became their most trusted confidant at the White House. And because of her skillful diplomacy and delicate negotiation, she got them both to a yes. Without Ivanka, tax reform probably would not have passed, and it certainly would not have included provisions to double the child tax credit and establish a new incentive for employers To offer paid leave to working parents. These were two of the most successful aspects of the tax reform legislation, and they have given more than 40 million American families an average of more than $2,000 in tax savings Each year. As I navigated through all the forces that tried to take me down, I managed to maintain the confidence of the President. There were times, however, when I could feel that even his faith in me was dwindling. Soon after my interview with the Mueller investigators, I was alone with the President in his cabin aboard Air Force One. He asked me how Ivanka and I were holding up. I told him we were weathering things okay, all things considered. I want you to know, I wouldn’t hold it against you guys if you wanted to return to New York, he said. Washington has turned out to be a vicious place, and you guys had great lives before this, and they are still waiting for you if you want them. I wasn’t sure if this was his way of suggesting that I should leave, and I didn’t want to ask. With as much confidence as I could muster, I told”

Don’t Cower Under Pressure (01:13:52)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/805fc16e-fb77-496f-abba-a8249a47232b

Key points:

  • In the short run, moving the embassy will be more difficult for peace, but in the long run, it will be easier. Show leaders that you aren’t constrained by convention.
  • The Middle East respects those who do what they say and don’t cower under pressure.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Trump turned to me and asked if moving the embassy would make it harder to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians. In the short run, it will be more difficult, I said, but in the long run, it will be easier because we will build capital with Israel, while showing world leaders that you aren’t constrained By convention. The Middle East is a rough neighborhood where leaders respect those who do what they say and don’t cower under pressure. Concerned about the peace plan, Trump then asked if we should wait six more months and see if the plan gained traction. While that should be considered, this is a relatively quiet period in a normally volatile Middle East, I said. Anything can happen, and in six months, you might not have the same hand to play. After hearing the opposing view from Tillerson and weighing the potential risks and benefits,”

Confronting Tillerson’s Misunderstanding (01:19:19)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/d0691253-faf0-4148-900d-886618bcdc2d

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner recounts confronting Secretary Tillerson about his accusations of daily coordination with MBS, which Kushner denied.
  • Kushner then called MBS with Tillerson present, revealing that Tillerson’s own team was regularly meeting with Saudi officials.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “She did, and I said to the Crown Prince, Secretary Tillerson told me that you implied that we are coordinating daily. I can’t have this. He is the Secretary of State, and while I work on the Middle East file, I report to him on foreign policy, and we try hard to stay in sync on everything. With Tillerson standing there listening to our conversation, MBS replied that Tillerson must have misunderstood. MBS’s brother, Khalid, who at that time was the Saudi ambassador to the United States, had followed Tillerson’s suggestion and had met in the White House that very day with the whole NSC Middle East team and staff from the State Department. MBS questioned whether Tillerson was perhaps unaware that his State Department team had been meeting with Khalid and his team regularly. As Tillerson listened, his face turned bright red. I hung up the phone and told him to get a better grip on his team’s activities before accusing me of things I had not done. Tillerson lashed back. He said the Saudis were the biggest funders of terrorism and predicted that MBS would never make the reforms he promised. I’m selling Saudi short, he added, using a stock market term to indicate that he was betting against them. Then he threw his hands in the air and screamed, I can’t operate like this. I feel like we have four secretaries of state. Usually, I avoid engaging in futile arguments, but this was enough. I could feel my voice rise. If you actually did your job and implemented what the president asked, we would have only one. My words had stung. The former oil titan was growing more frazzled”

Tillerson vs Kushner on MBS (01:19:19)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/e0257b95-7fcd-4955-b2a4-9f38ff19aec2

Key points:

  • Jared Kushner recounts Secretary Tillerson accusing him of coordinating daily with MBS.
  • Kushner then called MBS with Tillerson present, to clarify and address the misunderstanding.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “She did, and I said to the Crown Prince, Secretary Tillerson told me that you implied that we are coordinating daily. I can’t have this. He is the Secretary of State, and while I work on the Middle East file, I report to him on foreign policy, and we try hard to stay in sync on everything. With Tillerson standing there listening to our conversation, MBS replied that Tillerson must have misunderstood. MBS’s brother, Khalid, who at that time was the Saudi ambassador to the United States, had followed Tillerson’s suggestion and had met in the White House that very day with the whole NSC Middle East team and staff from the State Department. MBS questioned whether Tillerson was perhaps unaware that his State Department team had been meeting with Khalid and his team regularly. As Tillerson listened, his face turned bright red. I hung up the phone and told him to get a better grip on his team’s activities before accusing me of things I had not done. Tillerson lashed back. He said the Saudis were the biggest funders of terrorism and predicted that MBS would never make the reforms he promised. I’m selling Saudi short, he added, using a stock market term to indicate that he was betting against them. Then he threw his hands in the air and screamed, I can’t operate like this. I feel like we have four secretaries of state. Usually, I avoid engaging in futile arguments, but this was enough. I could feel my voice rise. If you actually did your job and implemented what the president asked, we would have only one. My words had stung. The former oil titan was growing more frazzled and insecure, so I softened my tone. Look, I know this was a misunderstanding, I said. You are the Secretary of State, and I want to work with you. If you give me any suggestions on how I can change my style or process to make you comfortable, let me know, and I will do it. He stared at me for a few seconds, offered no suggestions, and stormed out.”

Kelly’s Power Play (01:21:49)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/45b05623-0f42-4fca-b412-90a511c3c2fa

Key points:

  • Kelly excluded Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt from a Situation Room meeting about the Jerusalem Embassy for ’their own protection'.
  • However, he told Friedman he didn’t want history to show that three Orthodox Jews influenced such a consequential decision.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Despite the fact that I was the White House lead on Middle East policy, Kelly refused to let Jason Greenblatt or me join. This was for our own protection, he assured me. He explained that he was concerned that the decision would result in violent attacks on our embassies, and if Americans died as a result, he didn’t want me to be blamed for it. Later, I learned that he had given Friedman an entirely different reason. He didn’t want history to show that three Orthodox Jews, who might be biased in favor of Israel, had participated in such a consequential meeting. This was another of Kelly’s power plays. By design, Friedman was outnumbered in the meeting, but he was more than prepared to respond to those who opposed the move.”

Friedman’s Rebuttal (01:24:35)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/6de5b1b3-2618-4c59-98fc-a14b5b4c205d

Key points:

  • Mattis questioned the embassy move, noting that his meetings were always in Tel Aviv.
  • Friedman countered that meeting at the defense headquarters doesn’t dictate the capital’s location.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Next, the president turned to Mattis, who explained that he couldn’t understand why so much focus had been placed on the Jerusalem issue. He had been to Israel on countless occasions, and each time he went, his meetings were in Tel Aviv. Why move the embassy to Jerusalem if Israel’s Defense Department is in Tel Aviv? The group turned to Friedman for a response. Where is the Pentagon? He asked Mattis, who replied that it was in Arlington, Virginia. Then Friedman”

Tillerson’s UN Resolution Strategy (01:36:23)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/3a3122ce-1e50-4d19-adcf-137425719081

Key points:

  • Rex Tillerson suggested acknowledging the Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem to prevent them from leaving negotiations for a generation.
  • Jared Kushner refused, arguing that giving concessions in response to threats sets a bad precedent.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “He approached me at a White House holiday reception and explained that the situation was dire. We should acknowledge the Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem to give them a bone and allow them to save face, he said. Otherwise, they will walk away from the table and not come back for a generation. If they don’t come back, they don’t come back, I said. If you respond to their threat by offering a concession, that sets a terrible precedent. For decades, our diplomats have accepted a dynamic where the Palestinians say jump, and U.S. Diplomats ask how high. Tillerson rolled his eyes. He wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t belabor the issue.”

(4/9) Breaking History - A White House Memoir

Total snips in this part: 1

Abe’s Advice (07:41)

Snip link: https://share.snipd.com/snip/e810bebc-dcfd-4ef0-aa9f-950a9ae0ff53

Key points:

  • Shinzo Abe advised Ivanka and Jared to show no weakness on their worst days.
  • Jared followed this advice after his security clearance downgrade, using the extra time to focus on his policy portfolios.

Source text:

“Jared Kushner” "" “Ivanka reminded me about the advice we had received from one of the best politicians we’d met, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, Shinzo Abe. At a dinner in Japan, he told Ivanka, On your worst days, wear your best suit. Walk with your head held high, show no weakness, and project that nothing has changed. In the wake of the clearance downgrade, I followed Abe’s advice and decided to work even harder. Since I was no longer pulled into classified meetings, I had hours of additional time. I started to realize that I could get more done by not being involved in every decision. When the President asked me about bits of intel I hadn’t seen, I tried to steer him to his national security advisor, H.R. McMaster. To borrow a concept from philosopher Isaiah Berlin’s popular essay, The Hedgehog and the Fox, I became less of a fox who knew many things relatively well and more of a hedgehog who knew A few things very well. With my newfound time, I”