American Oligarchs - The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power
- 496 pages
- 18 hours of reading
This multigenerational saga follows two families, tracing their rise from immigrant origins to immense wealth and influence while highlighting the unraveling of American democracy. Award-winning journalist Andrea Bernstein explores the intertwined histories of the Trump and Kushner families, revealing a narrative filled with survival, loss, crime, and betrayal. Their journey spans from the Klondike Gold Rush and Nazi-occupied Poland to modern America, illustrating the growing nationalism and inequality that threaten the nation's democratic foundations. Building on her investigative work for the podcast Trump, Inc. and The New Yorker, Bernstein uncovers new insights into the families' immigrant roots, their ascent to power, and the complexities of their personal and business lives. She details how they exploited New York and New Jersey politics for tax benefits and profited from federal programs meant for the middle class. Bernstein also highlights the Trump Organization's reliance on dubious international financing and reveals shocking details about Charles Kushner's manipulative tactics. Through over two hundred interviews and extensive documentation, she illustrates how the Trumps and Kushners navigated legal boundaries, leveraging secrecy and power to evade accountability, ultimately contributing to a system rife with corruption and influence trading that has shaped contemporary America.