2017 May 27^th

The big story now, and for the last day or so, isn’t Donald Trump, but his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Jared seems to have been very interested in developing a back channel to the Kremlin. To do this he approached Ambassador Kislyak at the Russian embassy in Washington and proposed that a secure Russian communication route be established. Kushner believed that such a method of communication would not be subject to eavesdropping by the various American government spy chasers.

We knew Jared was naïve but we didn’t know he was that naïve. It is very unlikely that Kislyak has any means of communicating, short of a courier or a carrier pigeon that American spy catchers aren’t aware of. In any event, Jared is now the principle topic of every news channel in the country. The question: what was he so desperately eager to communicate to the Kremlin, and so desperate to keep confidential? Wouldn’t Kushner be a splendid asset for the Russian intel people to have. We know that at least one of his apartment developments is in need of a major cash infusion; seems like a perfect set-up for the Russian FSB.

Trump’s advisers seem to have many Russian connections. This extends to some members of his cabinet as well. His attorney general, Jeff Sessions, has recused himself from any dealing with Trump/Russian matters because he forgot (?) to mention contacts with Ambassador Kislyak.

His Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos has a brother, Eric Prince, founder of a private army, Blackwater, who lives in the Seychelles. This gentleman has arranged private meetings between himself and Russians to consider how Russia could reduce its support for Iran and Syria. A lifting of some sanctions by this country might be a fair trade. Understand that Eric Prince has no official role in this administration even though he is a strong admirer and financial contributor to Donald Trump. He is much too toxic to be officially associated with the Trump administration. (He seems to have left this country for the Seychelles to minimize certain tax and other legal obligations.)

 Another member of this Russian clique is Carter Page: on paper, Page looks like the ideal addition to a Trump team woefully short on anyone with international credentials. Edward Cox, Richard Nixon’s son in law recommends looking at Carter Page. Page is an Annapolis graduate with a doctorate from the London School of Economics and is a principal in a prominent energy company. Who wants more than that?

But then no one looks at his extensive Russian connections, or the content of the paid speeches he gave in Russia in which he savaged the policies of this country thus endearing himself to his Russian buddies. The Trump people didn’t bother to find out about that, or maybe they didn’t care about it.

Now the White House is devoting a “war room” not to foreign conflicts but to putting out conflagrations right here in their own back yard.