>>> WELCOME BACK TO TO YOUR BROADCAST, AN OPINION PIECE IN
THE GUARDIAN SAYS, QUOTE, JARED KUSHNER'S CHARMED LIFE IS ABOUT
TO COME TO A SCREECHING HALT. THAT'S JUST THE HEADLINE.
IN THE BODY OF THE PIECE IT GOES ON TO SAY, IN ALL HIS FANTASIES
ABOUT CONQUERING WASHINGTON AT DONALD TRUMP'S SIDE, KUSHNER
NEVER UNDOUBTEDLY IMAGINED BEING ENSNARED IN AN FBI
INVESTIGATION. HIS LIFE IN THE COMING MONTHS
AND MAYBE YEARS WILL BE A STUDY IN MISERY.SERY.
HE WILL PROBABLY SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS PERSONAL LAWYER THAN
WITH IVANKA OR HIS CHILDREN. THE AUTHOR, WALTER SHAP EAR
AUDIO IS WITH US HERE IN THE STUDIO.
HE IS A LONG TIME JOURNALIST. WORKED FOR YEARS AT U.S.A.
TODAY, THESE YEARS A COLUMNIST FOR WITH CALL.
SO, TELL US ABOUT THIS. WHY ARE YOU CONVINCED HIS LIFE
WILL COME TO A SCREECHING HALT? AND WHAT ABOUT HIS LIFE HAS
REACHED OUT TO YOU? >> WHAT ABOUT -- FIRST OF ALL,
WHAT I'M REALLY EXTRAPOLAING FROM IS THE EXPERIENCE THAT
PEOPLE HAD IN THE CARTER -- THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION DURING
WHITEWATER AND TO COME EXTENT THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION DURING
THE VALLERIE PLANE INVESTIGATION.
THAT EVEN JUST BEING ENSNARED IN AN FBI INVESTIGATION, BAG PERSON
OF INTEREST, BEING ASKED TO ASSIST THE AUTHORITIES IN THEIR
INQUIRIES MEANS THAT YOU ARE CONSTANTLY WORRIED THAT A FALSE
STATEMENT TO THE FBI IS A FELONY, A STATEMENT BEFORE THE
CONGRESS AND JARED KUSHNER HAS VOLUNTEERED TO TESTIFY UNDER
OATH COULD BE A FELONY. AND EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE
ANYTHING HITTER TO THAT'S ILLEGAL, IN THE WHOLE PROCESS,
YOU RUN THE RISK OF LEGAL JEOPARDY.
AND THAT MEANS BEFORE YOU GO TO THE HILL JERAD KUSHNER WILL
PROBABLY SPEND WEEKS GOING OVER HIS TESTIMONY WITH HIS LAWYERS.
AND THIS IS A MAN WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE BRINGING PEACE TO
THE MIDDLE EAST. >> BRINGING PEACE TO THE MIDDLE
EAST. >> AND VETERANS AFFAIRS
ANDOPEINATE ADDICTION AND A SPECIAL RAPID RESPONSE FOR
AMERICAN BUSINESS. PRESIDENT HAD A CHOICE AND CHOSE
THIS COVETED JOB AT AN OFFICE VERY CLOSE TO THE OVAL OFFICE
FOR HIS SON-IN-LAW, A 36 YEAR OLD GUY.
HOW WILL THAT DECISION POSSIBLY SPLASH BACK ON TO THE PRESIDENT?
>> IF JARED KUSHNER IS TOTALLY PREOCCUPIED WITH THE INQUIRIES,
AS HE HAS HINTED PERIODICITY HE AND IVANKA MIGHT JUST GO BACK TO
NEW YORK THAT SUDDENLY DONALD TRUMP WHO ALREADY IS PROBABLY
THE LONELIEST OF PRESIDENTS SINCE ABRAHAM LINCOLN WILL START
LOOKING AROUND AT THE MEETINGS AND ALL HE WILL SEE ARE EITHER
STRANGERS OR PEOPLE WHOSE LOYALTY HE DOESN'T FULLY TRUST.
EVERY PRESIDENT GOES THROUGH THAT MOMENT.
IT IS GENERALLY LINKED IN THE SECOND TERM WHEN THE PRESIDENT
LOOKS AROUND THE STAFF TABLE AND SAYS WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
FOR DONALD TRUMP IT COULD COME IN THE FIRST SUMMER OF HIS
PRESIDENCY. >> YOU HAVE COVERED WHAT TEN
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS? >> AND WALTER ISAKSON WAS MY
EDITOR. >> HOW UNPRECEDENTED IS THIS?
>> THERE ARE NO WAYS TO POSSIBLY COMPARE THIS TO ANYTHING.
I KEEP COMING BACK TO DOROTHY PARKER'S DESCRIPTION OF WARREN
HARDING, ANOTHER SCANDAL PRONE PRESIDENT WHO SAID ULTIMATELY HE
IS JUST A SLOB. AND THERE IS A QUALITY OF JUST
TO THIS ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION FROM DONALD TRUMP DOWN.
BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE 1920s AMERICA WAS NOT A NUCLEAR
POWER. THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA.
WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THERE IS UNPRECEDENTED POWER
RESTING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND FROM DAY
TO DAY WE HAVE NO IDEA IF ANYONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE IS EITHER --
>> THAT WAS THE POINT OF SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL.
COMING OFF THE EUROPEAN TRIP IT IS CLEAR TO HER THAT EVERYONE
ELSE IS PLAYING CHESS. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT IS
PLAYING CHECKERS. YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND ENOUGH TO
KNOW THAT SOONER OR LATER THE PRESIDENCY IS GOING TO RAISE ITS
UGLY HEAD, SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOMEWHERE.
>> OR WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THESE RUMORED SHAKE UPS
ACTUALLY HAPPENING. THE WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR LEFT TODAY AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS IT IS NOT THE MOST
COVETED JOB IN WASHINGTON TO REPLACE HIM.
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE IS AN UNDER STAFFED ADMINISTRATION AT
THE BEST OF TIMES EVEN IN MORE DISARRAY.
>> I WILL GIVE YOU 15 SECONDS FOR THE CLOSING SENTENCE.
DO YOU SEE A SILVER LINING? >> YES.
I THINK THE SYSTEM IS WORKING. I THINK DONALD TRUMP EVERY TIME
HE COMES OUT OF CONSTITUTIONAL NORMS HAS BEEN CONSTRAINED BY
THE CONGRESS, THE COURTS, THE