Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are receiving criticism after they traveled for Passover this month, disregarding federal guidelines urging Americans to quarantine. There is also a stay-at-home order in Washington, D.C., that has been in place since the beginning of April.
The couple visited Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Ivanka Trump and Kushner’s trip to New Jersey was first reported by The New York Times on Wednesday night.
Kushner and Trump were both reported to be considered to be part of the White House council to reopen the economy, which was criticized for its partisan makeup, but the president said on Monday they would not be.
Others who are reportedly on that list for consideration are Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who said in January that the coronavirus may help bring jobs back to the United States.
Ugh. No public health officials of course. This “council” need to be stopped as much as possible from doing real harm. Congressional hearings, FOIA requests, conflicts of interest inquiries, etc. Perhaps Pelosi should insist on transparency and oversight in the next bailout bill. pic.twitter.com/dsWQGx2JTn
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 13, 2020
Critics were quick to call hypocrisy on the couple. The Washington Post White House reporter Philip Rucker quipped, “Federal guidelines against discretionary travel and DC’s stay at home order apparently don’t apply if you’re Ivanka Trump or Jared Kushner.”
Federal guidelines against discretionary travel and DC’s stay at home order apparently don’t apply if you’re Ivanka Trump or Jared Kushner — @anniekarni has details on their New Jersey trip for Passover https://t.co/Iv4s7LrR4T
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) April 16, 2020
CNN’s Kate Bennet wrote, “[Ivanka Trump] posted videos saying ‘we’re all in this together.’ Yet while so many Jews celebrated Passover alone or via video, Ivanka took her family to Bedminster. During a pandemic. After telling everyone else to stay home. Unreal.”
. @IvankaTrump posted videos saying "we're all in this together." Yet while so many Jews celebrated Passover alone or via video, Ivanka took her family to Bedminster. During a pandemic. After telling everyone else to stay home. Unreal. via @anniekarni https://t.co/trOcFdyzb5
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) April 16, 2020
Politico’s Jake Sherman ripped, “THEY TOLD US not to leave our houses — stay home and stop the spread. Holidays are hard — they said they knew that — but do it for the common good. Yet Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner went to Bedminster for Passover.”
THEY TOLD US not to leave our houses — stay home to stop the spread. Holidays are hard – they said they knew that – but do it for the common good
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) April 16, 2020
Yet @IvankaTrump and @jaredkushner went to Bedminster for Passover. https://t.co/tI8S0z1alR
Though they are usually behind-the-scenes in the White House, Ivanka Trump and Kushner have been among the larger figures in the coronavirus fight. Kushner recently faced backlash after a White House coronavirus briefing where he called the federal stockpile of medical supplies “our stockpile.”