Robinson: Trumps to-do list for Kushner sets him up to fail

Jared Kushner is emerging as the smoothest, slickest operator in the Court of King Donald. He is also, by far, the busiest — and the hardest to fire.

President Trump is apparently convinced that his son-in-law, who serves officially as a senior adviser, can fix anything. Make that everything: In less than three months, Trump has given Kushner, 36, the following assignments:

Reinvent the federal government, one of the biggest and most complex organizations in the world. As head of the “White House Office of American Innovation,” Kushner is supposed to bring the mindset and practices of the business world to the public sector. Given that his father went to jail for crimes including tax evasion, and that his boss declared four business bankruptcies, we can only hope Kushner looks far afield for role models.

Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The greatest diplomatic minds of the century all failed at this Sisyphean task, but at least Trump gave Kushner instructions. Asked about a two-state solution, Trump said: “I am looking at two-state, and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like.” That must be what negotiators call latitude.

Manage the U.S. relationship with Mexico, a nation Trump repeatedly maligned during his campaign. Trump still claims Mexico will pay for the wall he promises to erect along the border. Those who want to see some hideous, unnecessary barrier actually built should wish Kushner good luck with that.

Manage the U.S. relationship with China, another nation Trump has repeatedly maligned. The president continues to insist that China keeps the value of its currency artificially low, to boost exports, but presently that is not the case. If anything, the Chinese government is propping up the yuan. I’m sure President Xi Jinping will understand when Kushner explains the discrepancy.

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