Jared Kushner. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

In a Forbes interview published on Tuesday, Jared Kushner — the Orthodox Jewish 35-year-old son-in-law of  Donald Trump — strongly defended the president-elect from allegations of antisemitism and racism.

“You can’t not be a racist for 69 years, then all of a sudden become a racist, right?” Kushner — who served as a close adviser to Trump during the presidential campaign — was quoted as saying. “You can’t not be an antisemite for 69 years and all of a sudden become an antisemite because you’re running.”

Referring to the backing Trump received from white supremacists and neo-Nazis, Kushner noted, “Trump has disavowed their support 25 times. He’s renounced hatred, he’s renounced bigotry, and he’s renounced racism. I don’t know if he could ever denounce them enough for some people.”

Kushner also vouched for Stephen Bannon, who has been appointed to serve as Trump’s chief strategist and senior counselor. As reported by The Algemeiner, the appointment of Bannon has drawn controversy due to his past role as chairman of Breitbart News — a conservative website that critics accuse of fostering antisemitism and racism.

“Do you hold me accountable for every single thing that the Observer’s ever written, like they came from me?” Kushner — publisher of the New York Observer — was quoted as saying. “All I know about Steve is my experience working with him. He’s an incredible Zionist and loves Israel. He was one of the leaders in the anti-divestiture campaign. And what I’ve seen from working together with him was somebody who did not fit the description that people are pushing on him. I choose to judge him based on my experience and seeing the job he’s done, as opposed to what other people are saying about him.”

Speaking about criticism he received from friends over his prominent role in Trump’s victory, Kushner stated, “I call it an exfoliation. Anyone who was willing to change a friendship or not do business because of who somebody supports in politics is not somebody who has a lot of character…People are very fickle. You have to find what you believe in, challenge your truths. And if you believe in something, even if it’s unpopular, you have to push with it.”

Asked about his take on inflammatory statements made by Trump during the campaign, Kushner replied, “I just know a lot of the things that people try to attack him with are just not true or overblown or exaggerations. I know his character. I know who he is, and I obviously would not have supported him if I thought otherwise. If the country gives him a chance, they’ll find he won’t tolerate hateful rhetoric or behavior.”

Describing Kushner’s office, the Forbes article revealed, “A leather-bound copy of Jewish teachings, the Pirkei Avot, sits on a wooden pedestal in the reception room, and identical silver mezuzahs adorn the side of each office door.”

Last month, as reported by The Algemeiner, Kushner’s wife Ivanka Trump told a synagogue gathering near Miami that her father had asked for her and her husband’s prayers during the Jewish High Holidays this year.

“You know what he would say right before Yom Tov — he would call and say, ‘You better pray hard for me,’” Trump said of her father. “I’d say, ‘Yes dad, we will pray hard.’ Then he’d call Jared and say, ‘Jared, you gotta pray hard for me.’ So he covered all of the bases.”

Speaking at a gala dinner held by The Algemeiner in February 2015 where he received the Liberty Award for his contributions to US-Israel relations, Donald Trump said, “I have a Jewish daughter! This wasn’t in the plan, but I’m very glad it happened.”