Kushner says Trump isn't racist, but 'I wasn't involved' in birther conspiracy
In an interview that aired on "Axios on HBO" Sunday, Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and White House senior adviser, said he has never witnessed Trump do or say anything he would consider racist.
“You can’t not be a racist for 69 years and then run for president and be a racist,” Kushner said. “And what I’ll say is, when a lot of the Democrats call the president a racist, I think they’re doing a disservice to people who suffer from real racism in this country.”
But Kushner refused to discuss the so-called birther conspiracy — championed by Trump — that maintained former President Barack Obama wasn’t born in the United States.
"Was birtherism racist?" Axios' Jonathan Swan asked Kushner.
"Um, look, I wasn't really involved in that," Kushner replied.
"I know you weren't," Swan said before repeating the question: "Was it racist?"
"Like I said, I wasn't involved in that," Kushner replied.
Swan asked again.
"I know who the president is, and I have not seen anything in him that is racist," Kushner said. "So, again, I was not involved in that."
Kushner was asked if he wished Trump had not pushed birtherism.
"I was not involved in that; that was a long time ago," he said.
Swan then asked if Kushner considered Trump's call for temporary ban on all Muslims entering the United States, which he campaigned on, racist or bigoted.
"Look, I think the president did his campaign the way he did his campaign," Kushner said. "I think he's here today and he's doing a lot of great things for the country, and that's what I'm proud of."
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