Jared Kushner: Donald Trump Not Adapting to Washington; ‘He’s Forcing Washington to Adapt to Him’

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, praising the president’s success in Washington despite historic attempts in D.C. to fight his agenda.

Kushner told the CPAC audience that he noted that after taking office, President Trump did not get a “honeymoon period,” as Washington already hated him. He asserted that it ultimately worked in Trump’s favor.

“He didn’t adapt to Washington; he’s forcing Washington to adapt to him,” Kushner said, “which is good.”

That line got the loudest applause from attendees during his appearance with CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp.

Kushner praised Trump’s success in Washington, noting that the fears surrounding the spread of the coronavirus from China fell on two of Trump’s most prominent goals of his presidency.

“We need a strong domestic manufacturing base here. We should be making stuff here in America. That’s very important,” he said. “The second is that you need to control your borders so that you know who’s coming in and out of your country.”

Kushner also praised Trump for changing the country with real leadership and said that support for him is only growing.

“A lot of politicians follow the polls,” he said. “He actually brings the polls to his positions; he can really change polls.”

Trump’s net favorability rating from RealClearPolitics, he said, went from an average of 37.5 percent on Election Day to higher than 46 percent today.

“The more the president’s been attacked, the more people realize what he’s fighting for. … They love that he’s fighting for them,” Kushner said. “When they see Washington fighting against him, most people don’t like Washington, so they like the fact that he’s fighting against Washington.”

Kushner said that if elected to a second term, Trump would be far more successful as he continues to change Washington.

He compared this to how President Trump’s chaotic first presidential campaign worked versus his reelection campaign.

“There’s no leaks. There’s no drama. I would say it’s high competence, low drama. Everything is very efficiently run, and I think that that’s exemplary of how President Trump would run his second term in office,” he said.