Fmr. Kushner Employee: ‘Interns on Capitol Hill’ Have More ‘Expertise’ than Jared

HARLOW So our next ░░░░░░░░ Elizabeth Spiers was editor ░░░░░░░░ chief of The New ░░░░░░░░ Observer Why does that ░░░░░░░░ Well that s the ░░░░░░░░ that Jared Kushner owned ░░░░░░░░ pretty recently She wrote ░░░░░░░░ pretty scathing piece about ░░░░░░░░ experience Let me read ░░░░░░░░ for you I worked ░░░░░░░░ Kushner for 18 months ░░░░░░░░ he tried to infuse ░░░░░░░░ much smaller institution in ░░░░░░░░ U S government with ░░░░░░░░ cutting impulses from the ░░░░░░░░ real estate world Not ░░░░░░░░ that works in the ░░░░░░░░ sector is transferable to ░░░░░░░░ public sector and even ░░░░░░░░ it were Kushner is ░░░░░░░░ the best person to ░░░░░░░░ it She joins us ░░░░░░░░ You ve gotten a ░░░░░░░░ of feedback on your ░░░░░░░░ Post piece Make the ░░░░░░░░ that Kushner can t ░░░░░░░░ it in this government ░░░░░░░░ because yes you have ░░░░░░░░ journalistic gripe with him ░░░░░░░░ get that from the ░░░░░░░░ but why do you ░░░░░░░░ that means he it ░░░░░░░░ like he can t ░░░░░░░░ at this SPIERS Let ░░░░░░░░ take it for granted ░░░░░░░░ Ivanka is right and ░░░░░░░░ s smart and talented ░░░░░░░░ still have to come ░░░░░░░░ to the fact that ░░░░░░░░ he were not married ░░░░░░░░ the President s daughter ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t be in ░░░░░░░░ of these positions You ░░░░░░░░ interns on Capitol Hill ░░░░░░░░ have more domain expertise ░░░░░░░░ Jared has You know ░░░░░░░░ hope that he succeeds ░░░░░░░░ who is a patriot ░░░░░░░░ to see this administration ░░░░░░░░ well but I m ░░░░░░░░ because I just don ░░░░░░░░ think that his experience ░░░░░░░░ necessarily transferable to what ░░░░░░░░ s doing now BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ re curious about what ░░░░░░░░ saw inside The New ░░░░░░░░ Observer In this piece ░░░░░░░░ tell a story about ░░░░░░░░ Macintosh computer that was ░░░░░░░░ Windows software What did ░░░░░░░░ represent to you SPIERS ░░░░░░░░ it was you know ░░░░░░░░ was a bit of ░░░░░░░░ metaphor He wasn t ░░░░░░░░ using the computer as ░░░░░░░░ monitor but he looked ░░░░░░░░ it as an aesthetic ░░░░░░░░ and he liked the ░░░░░░░░ the casing looked and ░░░░░░░░ was the only point ░░░░░░░░ having the Macintosh It ░░░░░░░░ a metaphor of how ░░░░░░░░ views optics really and ░░░░░░░░ think it speaks to ░░░░░░░░ way that he goes ░░░░░░░░ deciding what he s ░░░░░░░░ to tackle and what ░░░░░░░░ isn t going to ░░░░░░░░ So one of the ░░░░░░░░ hats he s wearing ░░░░░░░░ than solving Mideast peace ░░░░░░░░ dealing with Mexico and ░░░░░░░░ is he s running ░░░░░░░░ American innovation office SPIERS ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW You were witness ░░░░░░░░ a lot of cuts ░░░░░░░░ after the The Observer ░░░░░░░░ what you believe was ░░░░░░░░ first profitable quarter you ░░░░░░░░ he wanted more cuts ░░░░░░░░ Yeah and I think ░░░░░░░░ impulses really come from ░░░░░░░░ business background He works ░░░░░░░░ commercial real estate primarily ░░░░░░░░ commercial real estate is ░░░░░░░░ a transaction based business ░░░░░░░░ maybe 10 percent of ░░░░░░░░ is also about cost ░░░░░░░░ So what Jared fundamentally ░░░░░░░░ is deal making and ░░░░░░░░ cutting and beyond that ░░░░░░░░ a lot about operations ░░░░░░░░ Couldn t that be ░░░░░░░░ facing the debt we ░░░░░░░░ facing as a nation ░░░░░░░░ now SPIERS I think ░░░░░░░░ cutting is maybe a ░░░░░░░░ of it but it ░░░░░░░░ nothing to do with ░░░░░░░░ or growth I think ░░░░░░░░ s got to either ░░░░░░░░ those skillsets or bring ░░░░░░░░ people who already have ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN Was he a ░░░░░░░░ businessman Do you argue ░░░░░░░░ the notion that he ░░░░░░░░ a success in the ░░░░░░░░ world before joining the ░░░░░░░░ Administration SPIERS Well yes ░░░░░░░░ no Kushner Co has ░░░░░░░░ a lot of impressive ░░░░░░░░ but if you look ░░░░░░░░ their biggest deal which ░░░░░░░░ 666 Fifth Avenue it ░░░░░░░░ in a lot of ░░░░░░░░ right now and Jared ░░░░░░░░ will have to figure ░░░░░░░░ how to get that ░░░░░░░░ back on track And ░░░░░░░░ had a deal with ░░░░░░░░ Chinese company Anbang that ░░░░░░░░ apart last week So ░░░░░░░░ they re looking for ░░░░░░░░ investors I think the ░░░░░░░░ is still out on ░░░░░░░░ HARLOW Have you heard ░░░░░░░░ Jared Kushner SPIERS Not ░░░░░░░░ We talked for a ░░░░░░░░ months after I left ░░░░░░░░ Because you say you ░░░░░░░░ on pretty amicable terms ░░░░░░░░ Yeah We stayed in ░░░░░░░░ for a while I ░░░░░░░░ t heard from him ░░░░░░░░ probably for obvious reasons ░░░░░░░░ All right We ll ░░░░░░░░ to leave the discussion ░░░░░░░░ Elizabeth Spiers thank you ░░░░░░░░ being with us We ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your time HARLOW ░░░░░░░░ to have you.”