Trump’s Crony Diplomacy Turns Global Deals Into Family Business

In any functioning democracy, the idea that a president would entrust high-stakes diplomacy to close relatives and business partners would spark outrage. Yet Donald Trump’s administration normalized this cronyism, sidelining professional diplomats and empowering his son-in-law Jared Kushner and real estate mogul Steve Witkoff to lead negotiations on some of the world’s most volatile conflicts.

Kushner, once a senior adviser credited with brokering the Abraham Accords, and Witkoff, a special envoy with no diplomatic background, have been at the center of talks involving Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. But their qualifications matter less than their conflicts of interest — conflicts that corrupt the very essence of diplomacy.

Take Witkoff’s family ties to World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency firm where his son Zach is CEO and which holds dominant ownership stakes by both the Trump and Witkoff families. WLF struck controversial deals with Pakistan, a key player in US-Iran negotiations, including rolling out its stablecoin for cross-border transactions. This blurs the line between diplomacy and business, turning geopolitical negotiations into a marketplace for influence and profit.

Kushner’s conflicts are no less troubling. After leaving the White House, he launched Affinity Partners, a private equity firm funded by billions from Gulf monarchies — including $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Kushner’s financial dependence on Saudi capital complicates his role in negotiating détente with Iran, especially as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly pushes for continued conflict.

Moreover, Kushner’s “New Gaza” plan, unveiled at Davos, treats reconstruction as a real estate deal rather than addressing sovereignty or human rights, further exposing the transactional nature of this crony diplomacy.

The Trump administration’s choice to appoint Kushner and Witkoff as “special envoys” rather than official diplomats is no accident. This status shields them from Senate confirmation, ethics rules, disclosure requirements, and congressional oversight. It allows them to wield influence without accountability or transparency — a dangerous precedent that undermines democratic norms and compromises US foreign policy.

This crony diplomacy is not a harmless quirk; it is a corrosive force that erodes the integrity of American diplomacy and risks global stability. The long-term costs of trading national interest for family profit and political favors are only beginning to unfold.