Jack Hopkins says the phone account is a scandal if true and the most reckless story of the year if not
Jack HopkinsPolitical writer and host of The Jack Hopkins Show, writing in his newsletter
Writing about the account in Matthew Cole's book, Jack Hopkins says that if a senior White House adviser carried a compromised phone that at least two foreign intelligence services knew about, it is a scandal regardless of whether money changed hands, and that if it is not true, a journalist and a major magazine published the most reckless story of the year.
“If that is true, it's a scandal regardless of whether a single dollar changed hands. If it's not true, a journalist and a major magazine just published the most reckless story of the year.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
On October 22, 2026, Vanity Fair published an excerpt from Matthew Cole's book Princes and Thieves alleging that Dutch intelligence watched Jared Kushner's phone screen during Trump's first term and saw him log in to a UAE bank account, and that the leaders of the UAE and Saudi Arabia put at least $2 billion into accounts for him. Kushner called the allegations completely insane and said they never happened, and his lawyers threatened legal action.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Jack Hopkins walks through the excerpt's account of the phone surveillance and the bank accounts, and Kushner's denial.
Before the quotation
Writing about the account in Cole's book, Hopkins says the thing that matters is quieter than the headline: a senior adviser to a sitting president carried a compromised phone, and at least two foreign intelligence services knew it before, apparently, anyone in Washington did.
After the quotation
He writes that there is no third option, so he will lay out the story piece by piece and let readers decide.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns the excerpt's allegation that Kushner had access to accounts funded by Gulf rulers. Hopkins makes his judgment depend on whether the account proves true, which is a conditional response.
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- People and groups discussed
- Jared Kushner
More from this case
Read the full caseKim Wehle says Kushner's role in government poses extremely grave concerns
“Whether or not the book's allegations are all true, for American democracy, Kushner's role in government poses extremely grave concerns.”Read statement
Kushner's lawyer says Vanity Fair showed no sign of verifying the claims
“We have seen no indication that Vanity Fair conducted any independent verification of these claims before publishing them.”Read statement
Trump calls the report about Kushner a totally false story
“It's a totally false story.”Read statement
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- Jack Hopkins says the phone account is a scandal if true and the most reckless story of the year if not
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The Dispute Index. "Jack Hopkins says the phone account is a scandal if true and the most reckless story of the year if not". First published: 2026-10-29. Last updated: 2026-10-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/7157-writing-about-the-account-in-matthew-cole-s