Today is the official launch of Matthew Cole’s book, “Princes and Thieves,” about alleged ways in which Jared Kushner has profited from dealings in the Middle East.
The book is excerpted in Vanity Fair, and was released on Sunday as a pre-emptive strike.
Kushner vehemently denies everything in the book and his lawyers have suggested that they may sue Cole and his publishers.
Last night, Cole appeared on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart, who expressed skepticism about the book.
It was an unusual place to launch a publicity drive. Even though Stewart is quite adept at handling serious subjects, he is still a humorist, and the network is called Comedy Central. Also, Comedy Central is owned by Skydance, which as we all know is tipped in favor of Donald Trump, Kushner’s father-in–law. Also Vanity Fair is primarily a celebrity publication, and not the New York Times or even Time Magazine.
You can watch below this uncomfortable meeting between Stewart and Cole. Long ago I was a book publicist, and I can tell you this exchange would concern me. The book review in the New York Times this morning is far more enlightening, also their reviewer suggests the book is “incomplete.”
The interview begins awkwardly, with Cole insisting on reading Kushner’s denials. A surprised Stewart — who’s certainly read the book — thinks this a comedy ‘bit,’ at first. From then on, Cole is in choppy waters.
More to come…
