‘Fascist Barbie’: Karoline Leavitt Lashes Out at Reporter for Asking Legitimate Question About Peace Negotiations
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at a New York Times reporter, calling his question about President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the glaring conflict of interest in Kushner’s involvement in negotiations on a peace deal between Israel and Hamas “despicable.”
Other Middle Eastern countries are assisting in brokering the offer to the remaining Hamas leadership from the United States and Israel that Trump announced, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side at the White House.
Kushner received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia for his Affinity Partners, a private equity fund, and $1.5 billion from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar since 2021. Kushner started the fund after Trump’s first term in office ended.
“How did the White House decide that it is appropriate for Jared Kushner to be working on matters that involve Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, three countries that combined have given him more than $2.5 billion for his investment firm?” the Times’ Shawn McCreesh asked.
Leavitt, true to form, blasted McCreesh while completely sidestepping the question and the corrupt implications and delivering a slimy non-answer.
“I think it’s frankly despicable that you’re trying to suggest that it’s inappropriate for Jared Kushner, who is widely respected around the world and has great trust and relationship with these critical partners in these countries, to strike a 20-point comprehensive, detailed peace plan that no other administration would ever be able to achieve,” she spit out, trying to contain her rage.
“Jared is donating his energy and his time to our government, to the President of the United States, to secure world peace. And that is a very noble thing. And this is a peace plan that has not just been accepted by Israel, but it has been applauded by Muslim and Arab countries around the world, and has been applauded by European leaders around the world,” she continued forcefully.
“Virtually everyone in the world is supportive of this plan that Jared Kushner offered his time to help put together, alongside special envoy [Steve] Witkoff, the vice president, the President of the United States, Secretary [of State Marco] Rubio and the President’s entire national security team,” she added venomously.
“We are very proud of that plan and we hope Hamas will accept it because it will lead to a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East,” she concluded, completely ignoring the question about Kushner’s involvement in the Middle East and clear conflict of interest concerns about his participation in the negotiations.
People on social media are outraged by the lawlessness and Leavitt’s dressing down of the reporter.
“He asked because it *is* inappropriate and illegal,” X user Linda Ajello pointed out.
And another chimed in, “Translation: how dare you ask a legitimate question that I have no idea or clue on how to answer!”
This X user said it very plainly, “Jared Kushner’s Middle East Peace Plan Involves Nations Giving Him Billions of Dollars.”
“Someone remind fascist Barbie that none of this is normal,” X user Larry Lynam suggested.
After Kushner collected billions from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, he made tens of millions in fees managing the money.
And the money keeps rolling in for Kusher, according to a report by Reuters in May.
“Kushner’s investment company Affinity Partners saw assets under management jump 60% last year to $4.8 billion, according to a regulatory filing, after it received a cash injection from Middle East investors including Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.”
Kushner and his company were at the center of a Senate investigation before Democrats lost control of Congress last year. But before that happened, the Senate Finance Committee said in a statement last September, “Affinity has pocketed as much as $157 million in fees from foreign clients, including $87 million from the Saudi government.”
It also noted that Kushner’s fee structure was unusually high compared to market trends and Kushner’s inexperience.
“Affinity has generated no return on investment as of July 2024 and failed to deploy capital in a timely fashion,” the statement also said.
During Trump’s first term, Kushner, with no prior political experience, served as Trump’s senior adviser covering a broad range of important areas, including trade, domestic policy, and foreign relations.