Trump Tried to Derail Ivanka's Wedding Over Jared Kushner's Family

Former ally Chris Christie says Trump asked him to dig up dirt to break up the 2009 wedding.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:20pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cinematic painting of a solitary political figure or government building bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation and nostalgia.A rare glimpse into the personal dynamics and family tensions within Trump's inner circle.Bedminster Today

According to former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Donald Trump once asked him to find damaging information about Jared Kushner's family in an effort to break up Kushner's 2009 wedding to Trump's daughter Ivanka. Christie, who was the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey at the time, said Trump was "not thrilled" about the impending marriage and wanted him to uncover more dirt on the Kushner family to prevent it.

Why it matters

This story provides insight into the complex and at times contentious relationship between Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Trump's willingness to use his political connections and influence to interfere in his family's personal matters. It also highlights the long-running tensions between Trump and former ally Chris Christie, whose falling out stemmed in part from Christie's prosecution of Jared Kushner's father.

The details

According to Christie, Trump asked him to "go out to dinner" and said, "Do you have anything more on the family, so I can break this up?" in reference to Ivanka Trump's planned 2009 wedding to Jared Kushner. At the time, Christie was the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey and had previously prosecuted Jared's father, Charles Kushner, on charges including illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering. Charles Kushner had hired a prostitute to blackmail his own brother-in-law, who was cooperating with the investigation against him.

  • In 2009, Ivanka Trump was planning to marry Jared Kushner.
  • At the time, Chris Christie was the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, a position he held from 2002 to 2008.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who was apparently unhappy about his daughter Ivanka's planned marriage to Jared Kushner.

Chris Christie

The former governor of New Jersey who was the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey when Trump asked him to find damaging information about the Kushner family.

Jared Kushner

The son-in-law of Donald Trump who was planning to marry Ivanka Trump in 2009.

Charles Kushner

The father of Jared Kushner, who was convicted of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering while Chris Christie was U.S. Attorney.

Ivanka Trump

The daughter of Donald Trump who was planning to marry Jared Kushner in 2009.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It became clear to Donald Trump that they were going to get married. He was not thrilled, let's say, about this, and I was still the prosecutor at the time. And he asked me to go out to dinner, and he said, 'Do you have anything more on the family, so I can break this up?'”

— Chris Christie, Former Governor of New Jersey

“Haven't I given you enough?”

— Chris Christie, Former Governor of New Jersey

“The only thing the president ever asked Chris Christie for is to have mercy on the Mar-a-Lago buffet line.”

— Dylan Johnson, Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs, State Department

The takeaway

This story highlights the lengths to which Donald Trump was willing to go to interfere in his family's personal matters, even going so far as to ask a former ally to dig up dirt on his son-in-law's family in an effort to break up his daughter's wedding. It also underscores the complex and at times contentious relationships within Trump's inner circle, particularly between the former president and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.