Trump’s nepotism, and then some

Nepotism: Originally derived from the Italian nepote, meaning NEPHEW, the term nepotism is a “reference to popes with illegitimate sons called nephews”.[1]

Exhibit A:  Trump named Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.  Thus, Charles Kusher joins the esteemed ranks of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, who served as the first and second American ambassadors to France, respectively. Note: In 2004, Mr. Kushner “admitted to hiring a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, a witness in a federal campaign finance investigation, and sending a videotape of the encounter to his sister.”[2]

Exhibit B:  One day after he named Charles Kushner as ambassador to France, Trump announced that “he would name Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman and the father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, as a senior adviser covering Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.”[3]

Exhibit C: According to sources, Donald Trump Jr “has emerged as the family’s most influential advisor of the moment as his father builds the most controversial cabinet in modern US history.”[4]  Apparently Don Jr was also influential in championing J.D. Vance as president-elect Trump’s running mate. Note: In his first term of office as president, Trump’s eldest daughter and her husband Jared Kushner, were top advisors.

Clearly the advice president-elect Trump has been getting – and will continue to get – has not been hashed out by academics in seminar rooms.  As Trump lowers the bar, we need to keep our expectations of American politics, if not global affairs, low. Note: During the First World War, it was the British working-class soldiers who fared the best, as they had a lifetime’s experience, especially from being in the mines, which kept their expectations low.

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[1] Oxford Canadian Dictionary 2004.

[2] Zach Montague, “Trump Names Charles Kusher as Pick for Ambassador to France,” New York Times online, November 30, 2024.

[3] Zach Montague, “Trump Offers Massad Boulos Middle East Advisor Role,” New York Times online, December 1, 2024.

[4] Richard Luscombe and agency, “Trump’s eldest son emerges as key voice influencing cabinet picks – report”, The Guardian online, November 24, 2024.