The beginning of a presidency is difficult to define as the Office is so important that it can distract any newly inaugurated President by its traditions and History. In the first two months of the #Donald Trump presidency we can say with certainty that it has been unorthodox and controversial but the news of the ever increasing role of daughter Ivanka Trump and son in law #jared kushner mark a move that seems paradoxical in the early twenty first century.
Position
The news that Ivanka Trump, the President’s daughter has taken up a yet untitled and undefined role with an office in the White House has raised eyebrows not only in Washington but around the world.
The President’s advisors are usually chosen for their experience in specific fields of interest for the long term agenda of the incumbent President rather than any personal ties or affection that the President may have.
Administration
This nomination coincides with the incomplete reorganization of the total Administration as usually happens with a change of presidencies. Furthermore the choices made so far have not been on the basis of government or other relevant experience.
White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon came from Breitbart News and his experience was not in any sphere of public administration and his personal calling cards are ideological and not in direct hands-on experience.
Many other members of the Senior Staff appear to the chosen for their ability to follow orders unquestioningly and the performance on television of Senior Advisor Stephen Miller is a case in point.
Without forgetting the performances of Press Secretary Sean Spicer and Senior Advisor Kellyanne Conway which have been marked by their attempts at explaining the inconsist behaviour of the occupant of the Oval Office instead of the real benefits of any particular presidential decision.
Family
Therefore the roles of both Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner have been under the microscope since the Inauguration and their increasingly high profile and levels of responsibility have surprised many.
In particular, the presence of the President’s daughter at a number of meetings with Heads of State has been seen by many as a breach of protocol.
The recent announcement that Jared Kushner has been given the role of head of the new White House Office of American Administration to attempt to simplify government bureaucracy was a source of consternation for many inside and outside Washington.
The position would be an extreme challenge for an experienced politician or high level bureaucrat let alone for someone with no direct knowledge of the workings of government departments.
Dynasty
More than consolidating the Administration, these choices seem more like setting up a family Dynasty and the sign of a President who wishes to continue to be surrounded by those who obey instead of the traditional advisors whose opinion may that times be at odds with those of the President.
In some ways, the closest Presidency for the presence of family members was the one that took on the name of Camelot.
President John F. Kennedy’s Attorney General was his brother Robert but this choice was not simple nepotism as his brother had worked for years in the Justice Department where he had already made a name for himself on his signature themes of fighting organized crime and the fundamental battle for civil rights.
While the roles of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner will not break the anti nepotism laws their lack of experience may cause unexpected problems for an Administration that has already been blocked since Inauguration in legislation such as the Moslem Ban orders and the repeal of the ACA.
It would not be fair on the husband and wife team to be criticized for roles that have not yet produced results, but it would be fair to question a President who does not believe in choosing people for important positions on the basis of their relevant experience which would certainly render his task easier.
