Listen to Jared Kushner boast in April about 'Trump getting the country back from the doctors'


We know from Bob Woodward's recorded interviews that President Trump had a good sense of how dangerous COVID-19 was early on and decided to play down the risk to prevent public "panic." But Woodward also spoke with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, and some of those recordings were shared on CNN Wednesday.
Kushner's April 18 interview focused on Trump's push to pivot from fighting the coronavirus outbreak, which at that point had killed 40,000 people and was ravaging New York, to getting businesses to reopen. "It was almost like Trump getting the country back from the doctors, right?" Kushner told Woodward. "In the sense that what he now did was, you know, he's going to own the open-up." The U.S. was mostly past "the panic phase" and "pain phase" of the pandemic and had arrived at "the comeback phase," Kushner predicted. "Trump’s now back in charge. It’s not the doctors. They’ve kind of — we have, like, a negotiated settlement."
"They wanted to sideline the doctors, simple and clear," CNN's Jamie Grangel paraphrased. "They saw the doctors as adversaries. When you say 'negotiated settlement,' it sounds more like the end of a war." Trump's COVID-19 response was largely guided by Kushner, so it was Kushner's response, too, she added.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Woodward himself told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday night that the White House's theory that Trump may even benefit from the pandemic is "a Shakespearean tragedy unto itself."
Kushner also told Woodward that Trump had gotten rid of several "overconfident idiots" — Woodward speculated he meant James Mattis, Rex Tillerson, and Gary Cohn — and said Trump had successfully staged a "full hostile takeover" of the Republican Party. You can listen to more audio excerpts at CNN.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Taking the low road: why the SNP is still standing strong
Talking Point Party is on track for a fifth consecutive victory in May’s Holyrood election, despite controversies and plummeting support
-
Has the Gaza deal saved Netanyahu?
Today's Big Question With elections looming, Israel’s longest serving PM will ‘try to carry out political alchemy, converting the deal into political gold’
-
French finances: what’s behind country’s debt problem?
The Explainer Political paralysis has led to higher borrowing costs and blocked urgent deficit-reducing reforms to social protection
-
Israel, Hamas agree to first step of Trump peace plan
Speed Read Israel’s military pulls back in Gaza amid prisoner exchange
-
Israel intercepts 2nd Gaza aid flotilla in a week
Speed Read The Israeli military intercepted a flotilla of nine boats with 145 activists aboard along with medical and food aid
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime minister
Speed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s plan
Speed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace plan
Speed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU party
Speed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years