1 NOV 2026 · Jared Kushner's WhatsApp use raised questions in Congress back in 2019. Now Matthew Cole's new book, Princes and Thieves, alleges foreign spies got inside Kushner's iPhone while he worked in the White House. Kushner calls the allegations "completely insane" and says they never happened.
Osiris examines the 2019 congressional letter, Abbe Lowell's response, the reporting on Kushner's WhatsApp chats with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and three real holes in Matthew Cole's account. What does the public record prove about Jared Kushner, and what still needs paper?
The episode also covers Cole's reporting track record and the legal threats from Kushner's lawyers. As of October 31, I haven't located a publicly filed lawsuit over these allegations.
Next episode: Saudi Arabia's $2 billion investment in Affinity Partners.
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Sources: Kushner's published response to Matthew Cole: https://jaredkushner.com/posts/response-to-matthew-coles-book/ House Oversight Committee, Chairman Elijah Cummings's letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone (March 21, 2019): https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/new-information-about-white-house-officials-using-private-email-and-messaging ABC News (March 21, 2019); CNN reporting by Peter Bergen (March 2019); The Washington Post (Feb. 27, 2018); Jerusalem Post editor's note (Oct. 23, 2026); Neria Kraus on X (Oct. 24, 2026); Chad Mizelle on X (Oct. 22 and 24, 2026); New York Post (Oct. 26, 2026); European Court of Human Rights, Abu Zubaydah v. Lithuania (May 31, 2018); The Intercept, statement by Betsy Reed (July 2017). Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/index-red--5635545/support.
This episode includes AI-generated content.