France riled by Trump pick of Charles Kushner as Paris envoy

[milestogo]

France’s establishment reacted with a mixture of resignation and muted scorn to president-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of real estate developer, pardoned felon and family connection Charles Kushner as US ambassador to France.  Kushner is the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who occupied a variety of prominent posts in his first administration. The 70-year-old real estate executive was a big donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign.  He also received a presidential pardon at the end of Trump’s first term after he was convicted on multiple counts of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and witness tampering, for which he spent time in jail. He was released in 2006. 

“He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday as he announced his choice for ambassador, which will need to be confirmed by the US Senate. 

The news was met with scepticism on the other side of the Atlantic. “I recommend reading his résumé. ‘Juicy’ as the Americans would say. Needless to say, he has no knowledge of our country. At least he will have access to the president. We console ourselves as best we can,” former French ambassador to the US Gérard Araud wrote on X.  “Does he speak French at least?” one commenter asked. “Obviously not,” Araud replied. Araud later added: “In the madness of Trump’s nominations, there is expressed the near total contempt for human respect, customs and the law.”

François Heisbourg, senior adviser for Europe at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, questioned whether France would refuse to approve “the nomination of this sad character” on X. “Though rare, this type of refusal is part of the diplomatic prerogatives of sovereign states.” One French banker simply replied with an eye-roll emoji when asked for an opinion on the picking of Kushner.

https://www.ft.com/content/adb5f89b-9f0c-4431-9ee2-62823f681444

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump punishing France for sending aid to Ukraine and putting sanctions on Russia.

[Lulu KC]

2. Not resignation, please!

Please refuse.

[Scrivener7]

3. Dear France, So are we. Love, sane Americans

[The Madcap]

4. Can France

Prevent access? They should.

[dalton99a]

5. A country can reject an ambassador by refusing to accept their credentials, but it is rarely done

[milestogo]

7. I'd say this is a special occasion.

Except Trump might offer up someone worse. He may not know any MAGATS who speak French.

[melm00se]

8. Refusing accreditation

of an ambassador is high up the "Serious Diplomatic Actions" list.

That action is a very serious one and not to be taken lightly (but then again, a country shouldn't send a complete jackass either).

[Sneederbunk]

6. The ex-con will have a rough time there.

Oh, the French!

[DFW]

9. About 23 years ago

The Canadian ambassador to France happened to be a friend of mine. I knew him from his previous posting as Canadian ambassador in Washington. He remains the finest foreign service officer of ANY country I have ever met. We got together sometimes while I was in Paris. At the Residence (as opposed to the embassy), he had photos on the reception room's piano of the heads of state he had served under, with Bill Clinton, his last posting before France, featured prominently. On one occasion, the new American ambassador, some Bush toady chosen because he and Bush liked horses, was over at the Canadian embassy residence. The guy spoke no French (of course), and nor did his wife. My friend, being from Québec, was fully bilingual, of course. At the reception, the new US Ambassador's wife noticed the photos on the piano. She started exclaiming that a photo of George W. Bush was missing. My friend explained that no, Bush was not missing at all. He had never served as ambassador under Bush, and so his photo wasn't there. This woman, having all the social graces of a rabid hyena, insisted that he have a photo of Bush on the piano, having no understanding why he wasn't there in the first place. He made no effort to acquire a photo of Bush, but she wasn't going to let him off that easily. She obtained one for him, which he put out on occasions when he knew she'd be there. He WAS, after all, a professional diplomat.

Why we have to send total social misfits to be our top diplomatic emissaries, I'll never understand. Sure, if you want to reward some idle contributor rich person with an ambassadorship, you get them one. To the Bahamas or Trinidad, or whatever. NOT to France, the UK, Germany, Brazil, India, and sure as hell not to Russia or China. I wonder if Kushner even knows how many countries there are between the Eastern border of France and the western border of the Ukraine? (If he's reading this and scratching his head, the answer is two, Chuckie boy--that's why guys like you do not belong as our ambassador to France).

[elleng]

11. WOW, and THANKS!

[spooky3]

14. This story and the Kushner appointment are so embarrassing. Please apologize to the French people

on our behalf.

[3catwoman3]

16. "...having all the social graces of a rabid hyena..."

There seems to be an epidemic of this in the US right now - lack of basic civility is rampant.

[elleng]

10. As they SHOULD be!

[Permanut]

12. Just more pearl - clutching unless they refuse his credentials..

and pearl clutching has no effect on the Fourth Reich.

[Exp]

13. Other nations are laughing at us... again. eom

[not fooled]

15. If the crook does go, the French will make him feel a special kind of welcome

I have full confidence in the French to throw shade in an effective manner.

Still, it never should have to come to that. The nomination is an insult.

[NJCher]

17. It will be great

except it will probably go over his head. Surely someone will catch it and make sure it's published or posted so we can all snicker.

Hey, with trump, it's all about nepotism. Installing the fam.

[MMBeilis]

18. The French who still, no doubt, consider French the language of Diplomacy, should just refuse to parlais with him.....

......in English, insisting he bring an interpreter. Or better yet, use one of theirs.

[Godot51]

19. der drumpf...

... wants the French to reject this piece of garbage, as they should.

"He" thinks he's being cute.

[C0RI0LANUS]

20. "Sacre bleu! Who is Trumpf sending us to be his Ambassador?"

[Sundance1220]

21. He did it PRECISELY to

insult the French. Nobody should be surprised.