How Jared and Ivanka Pushed Back Against the Christian Right
Image by Getty Images
By Nathan Guttman February 3, 2017
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump may have a new role in Donald Trump’s White House – a counterweight to Christian conservatives trying to sway the president’s agenda to the right.
Politico reports that the first daughter and son-in-law led the charge to scuttle a proposed executive order rolling back the Obama administration’s rules on LGBTQ rights, which protect employees from LGBTQ discrimination while working for federal contractors. The couple was the driving force behind Trump’s decision to ignore the proposed executive order draft and to issue a statement pledging adherence to Obama’s 2014 policy.
The debate over Trump’s LGBT policy is shaping into a battle between the Christian conservative forces, including the Family Research Council, and the young Jewish couple known for their support of LGBT rights.
“There are some in Trump’s family that have some views on these things,” a source close to the discussions told Politico. “That’s where the decision is ultimately being made.”
At the end of the day, Kushner and Trump got their way on Obama’s 2014 order, but according to the report, religious conservatives are still pushing the White House on other aspects of LGBTQ policy, such as broadening religious exemptions that would shield providers of health care or adoption services who don’t want to serve gay or transgender people.
Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected]
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
