President-elect Donald Trump announced the appointment of New York real estate developer Charles Kushner as ambassador to France in a social media post Saturday, calling him a “great business leader, philanthropist and dealmaker.”
“Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Cheryl, their four children, and their 14 grandchildren,” Trump wrote. “His son Jared worked closely with me in the White House, particularly on Operation Warp Speed, criminal justice reform, and the Abraham Accords. Together, we will strengthen the partnership between France and the United States, one of our oldest and greatest allies!
All U.S. ambassador nominees must be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, Kushner will take over the role from Denise Campbell Bauer.
The 70-year-old business mogul was also a lawyer and the founder of private real estate firm Kushner Companies. His son, Jared Kushner, is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and served as a senior adviser during Trump’s first term.
In 2005, the elder Kushner was convicted by a federal jury of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion and witness tampering. Chris Christie, a former New Jersey governor and federal prosecutor, called the charges against Kushner “one of the most disgusting and disgusting crimes” he has ever prosecuted. Kushner served two years in prison before returning to the real estate business.
Trump pardoned Kushner in 2020, a month before the end of his first term.
Relations between France and the United States are particularly important on issues such as trade and security, amid concerns that President Trump could pull the United States out of the NATO military alliance.
Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney contributed reporting.
