Donald Trump practices nepotism

Donald Trump has given his own family members highly important positions in his government which they are not qualified to hold. The two most prominent cases are Ivanka Trump, his daughter, and her husband Jared Kushner. Ivanka Trump has served as Advisor to the President since 2017. During this time, she has been heavily involved in policymaking, notably in making tax cuts and issuing federal grants. She even represented the US at a G20 summit.^[1] Before taking on this role, she was involved in the fashion and real estate industries. Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner also holds posts he is not suitable for. Kushner’s responsibilities include the construction of the border wall between the US and Mexico, the resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, solving the opioid crisis and reforming the criminal justice system.^[2] Handing such significant responsibilities to close family members is extremely corrupt, especially considering the fact that Ivanka and Jared have retained many of their business assets, earning them a reported $36 million in 2019.^[3] Ivanka also uses her government position to promote personal and campaign messaging, violating the Hatch Act 11 times just between 13th and 20th October this year.^[4] This is damaging for the US government too. Not only are important positions held by those underqualified for them, but nepotism creates a culture where other officials are hesitant to criticise proposals for fear of falling out with the family.