Kushner says ‘Alice in Wonderland’ describes Trump presidency: Woodward book
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner told people that the book “Alice in Wonderland” can help them understand the Trump presidency, according to excerpts from Bob Woodward’s new book reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday.
In his forthcoming book, titled “Rage,” the Washington Post associate editor writes that Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, advised people that one of the most important guiding texts to understand his presidency was the classic children’s novel.
Kushner singled out the Cheshire Cat who uses endurance and persistence, not direction, as his strategy, according to the paper.
Kushner, who is quoted extensively in the book, said, “The most dangerous people around the president are overconfident idiots.”
Woodward reportedly interprets Kushner’s quote as a reference to Trump’s former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Trump’s former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and former National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn.
In the book, Tillerson reportedly called Kushner’s dealings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “nauseating to watch” and “stomach churning,” according to the Post.
“Rage” is Woodward’s second book about Trump’s presidency. It includes information from nine hours of recorded, on-the-record interviews with the president.
The book is set for release Sept. 15. Woodward will appear on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday for an interview about his latest work.
On Wednesday, Woodward also released tapes of interviews with Trump, including audio acknowledging he purposely downplayed the risks of the coronavirus.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.