Intent Vs. Reality

Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, will tell a Congressional investigative committee that the meeting he took before the election with a Russian lawyer was a waste of time. That may be so, but the perception is that he was ready and willing to cooperate if the meeting produced damaging information about Hilary Clinton. The reality was nothing but the intent verged on criminality. Powers smarter than I will determine if intent was enough to transgress the law, but in the court of public opinion, Kushner is damaged. He is a symbol of those who will do anything to win, including walking on the dark side. It is the ultimate in pragmatism and gives no quarter to ethics. It will be interesting to see if Kushner is driven out of the Trump administration. Chances are good that he won’t be. Trump is defending him at the moment, but Trump is mercurial. If Kushner becomes too much of a liability, he will be gone.