Why Did Cory Booker Back Trump’s Pick for Ambassador to France?

Why Is Cory Booker Still Voting for Trump’s Agenda?

Charles Kushner’s controversial appointment revives scrutiny over Booker’s political ties

On Monday night, the U.S. Senate confirmed Charles Kushner, father of Jared Kushner and father-in-law to Ivanka Trump, as ambassador to France and Monaco. The vote passed 51–45, mostly along party lines—with one Republican defection and one highly unexpected vote in favor from Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey.

Booker’s support stands out, not only because of his recent fiery denunciations of Donald Trump and the GOP from the Senate floor, but also due to Kushner’s criminal history. Kushner, who served 14 months in federal prison for campaign finance violations, tax evasion, and witness tampering, was pardoned by President Trump in 2020.

Now, four years later, Kushner is set to represent the United States abroad, in one of its most prestigious diplomatic postings. And Booker helped him get there.

A long and complicated political history

The connection between Booker and the Kushner family is not new. In 2013, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump hosted a fundraiser in support of Booker’s Senate campaign. That early alliance appears to have endured both a federal conviction and shifting political tides.

Kushner’s crimes, however, were anything but typical. In one of the more notorious scandals of early 2000s political history, Charles Kushner hired a sex worker to seduce his brother-in-law, who had been cooperating with federal investigators. Kushner secretly videotaped the encounter and sent it to the man’s wife—Kushner’s own sister.

The case was prosecuted by then–New Jersey U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, who later described it as “one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted.”

Yet at his recent confirmation hearing, Kushner insisted he had paid for his mistake:

“My misjudgment and mistake was over twenty years ago... I made a very, very, very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price.”

In a strictly legal sense, that may be true. But critics argue that a presidential pardon followed by a prestigious ambassadorship raises deep concerns about privilege, loyalty, and political favors.

Not all Democrats were on board

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington voiced clear opposition to Kushner’s nomination:

“Charles Kushner was convicted of making false statements to the FEC and pleaded guilty to tax evasion & witness tampering. And Trump pardoned him. Of course, I voted NO.”

Murray was one of many Democrats who refused to endorse Kushner’s nomination. But Booker once again defied expectations. It wasn’t the first time, either.

Booker’s track record of bipartisan confirmations

Charles Kushner is not the only Trump-world figure to receive support from Booker in recent months. The senator also voted to confirm:

• David Perdue, former Republican senator from Georgia, as ambassador to China

• Tilman Fertitta, Houston billionaire and Trump ally, as ambassador to Italy and San Marino

These decisions raise questions about whether Booker’s votes are driven by loyalty, political strategy, or simply personal connections. Either way, his record increasingly stands apart from the Democratic mainstream, especially when Trump’s allies are the beneficiaries.

Nepotism in the new Trump era?

Charles Kushner is not the only Trump family insider rewarded with a diplomatic post. In recent months, the Trump team has nominated several figures closely connected to the former president’s family, including:

• Massad Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, as senior adviser on Middle East policy

• Kimberly Guilfoyle, former fiancée of Donald Trump Jr., as ambassador to Greece

Such appointments suggest a broader pattern of personal and political loyalty outweighing experience or merit—a hallmark of Trump’s governance style during his presidency, and one apparently continuing in a second political chapter.

A vote that leaves more questions than answers

Cory Booker remains an influential figure in Democratic politics and a vocal critic of Trumpism. Yet his repeated support for high-profile Trump nominees contradicts the message he’s delivered publicly.

Whether motivated by personal ties, political calculation, or something else entirely, Booker’s vote for Charles Kushner has stirred skepticism within his party and among his base. As the 2024 election cycle heats up and alliances become clearer, questions about Booker’s positioning—both ideological and strategic—are unlikely to go away.

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