One of the revelations that came out of the e-mails released by Donald Trump Jr. on Tuesday was that his brother-in-law Jared Kushner was present, at least for a short time, during the meeting with the Russian lawyer. And ever since then, Democrats had been calling for him to lose his job. And during Thursday’s edition of NBC Nightly News, the network aided them in their endeavor. “Kushner was in the meeting with that Russian attorney and Donald Trump Jr., and now Democrats are questioning why he still has his security clearance or his job,” announced Anchor Lester Holt.
Correspondent Peter Alexander wasted little time in getting to the heart of his report by playing two clips of Senate Democrats calling for Kushner’s head to roll:
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Jared Kushner should be fired or he should resign.
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY: He was potentially compromised inside the White House. If he doesn't get fired, then there's clearly a double standard.
Alexander never explained Senator Chris Murphy’s outlandish claim that Kushner was “potentially compromised inside the White House.” The meeting in question occurred inside Trump Tower in New York City and he stayed for only a few minutes, according to some accounts. He also never said what the “double standard” would be.
“Kushner now under scrutiny for sitting in that meeting during the campaign with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer, later omitting it on his security clearance form,” Alexander said. He then cited an anonymous source who claimed the security clearance form was “amended three times” and “more than a hundred foreign contacts” were added to it.
Alexander then leaned on National Security Lawyer Bradley Moss to slam the President’s son-in-law. “That's something no one else would get away with,” Moss exclaimed. “Security would set its hair on fire and would be rubber stamping a denial before I could even— you know the paper got-- the ink was dry.”
“He is the President's son-in-law, and so long as he's got the ear and the trust of the President, nothing can touch him,” Moss continued.
The NBC reporter seemed disheartened by how unlikely it was that Kushner would lose his job or security clearance. “Ultimately the President is the only person who can revoke Kushner's top security clearance or fire him,” he appeared to bemoan.
And to play up the cloak and dagger theatrics, Alexander wrapped up his report by saying:
Kushner's the one individual in the Russia investigation who helped run the campaign, the transition, and now works directly for the President. Tonight, looking to protect their clients, a source with direct knowledge of the discussions tells NBC News: The lawyers for the president, his son and son-in-law have agreed that they and their clients need to be more disciplined when it comes to communicating with one another about the Russia case.
Between the theatrics, the slamming, and the hyperbolic clips, it’s clear that NBC wanted to do the bidding of Senate Democrats.
Transcript below:
NBC Nightly News
July 13, 2017
7:04:20 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: The President's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner is also facing new scrutiny. Kushner was in the meeting with that Russian attorney and Donald Trump Jr. And now Democrats are questioning why he still has his security clearance or his job. NBC's Peter Alexander with the controversy.
[Cuts to video]
PETER ALEXANDER: The President's daughter and son-in-law today attending an elite business conference in Sun Valley, Idaho amid swirling questions back in Washington about Jared Kushner, the Russian connection, and those revealing e-mails.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: Jared Kushner should be fired or he should resign.
SEN. CHRIS MURPHY: He was potentially compromised inside the White House. If he doesn't get fired, then there's clearly a double standard.
ALEXANDER: Kushner now under scrutiny for sitting in that meeting during the campaign with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer, later omitting it on his security clearance form. A form that he's amended three times, a Kushner confidant tells NBC News. Adding more than a hundred foreign contacts. All of them previously undisclosed including the Russian ambassador and the head of a Russian state-owned bank.
BRADLEY MOSS: That's something no one else would get away with. Security would set its hair on fire and would be rubber stamping a denial before I could even— you know the paper got-- the ink was dry.
ALEXANDER: Kushner's lawyer says the form was prematurely submitted with errors. Ultimately the President is the only person who can revoke Kushner's top security clearance or fire him.
MOSS: He is the President's son-in-law, and so long as he's got the ear and the trust of the President, nothing can touch him.
ALEXANDER: Kushner's the one individual in the Russia investigation who helped run the campaign, the transition, and now works directly for the President. Tonight, looking to protect their clients, a source with direct knowledge of the discussions tells NBC News: The lawyers for the president, his son and son-in-law have agreed that they and their clients need to be more disciplined when it comes to communicating with one another about the Russia case. Peter Alexander, NBC News, the White House.
