Ex-GOP strategist Steve Schmidt mocks major flaw in Ivanka Trump's Albanian island story
WASHINGTON, DC: Former GOP strategist Steve Schmidt mocked Ivanka Trump’s account of discovering an Albanian island earmarked for a massive luxury resort, arguing that key details of her story do not match the reality of the site.
Schmidt’s criticism quickly added fuel to an already controversial project. President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, planned a $1.4 billion development that is facing protests, environmental concerns and growing public backlash in Albania.
Steve Schmidt challenges Ivanka Trump’s island account
During his podcast, Schmidt laughed and sang “Albania! Albania!” while dissecting Ivanka Trump’s recent description of how she and Kushner found Sazan Island.
According to Schmidt, “She got five words in” before she began “lying” about the experience.
Ivanka Trump had said she and Kushner were on a friend’s boat, stopped for a swim and then swam ashore to explore the island barefoot before becoming captivated by it.
Schmidt pushed back on that version of events, saying, “She would have stepped on her first landmine.”
With Canadian podcaster Dean Blundell joining the discussion, Schmidt argued that Sazan Island, a former communist-era military base, is littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Blundell also disputed Ivanka Trump’s description of the island as being in the Mediterranean, noting that Sazan sits in the Adriatic Sea.
What do Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner plan to build?
The controversy centers on plans for a sprawling luxury tourism development tied to Sazan Island and a nearby stretch of Albania’s coastline.
In a podcast interview, Ivanka Trump described the property as an “unbelievable, beautiful 1,400-hectare private island in the middle of the Mediterranean” alongside miles of beachfront land intended for hotels and resorts.
She emphasized the scale of the proposal, saying, “We’ll have hotels and resorts and wellness, all of it — it’s almost daunting in its size.”
Ivanka Trump also said developers were focused on respecting local culture, adding, “You can’t just, like, impose yourself upon a country or culture — you have to understand it first to do it in a beautiful and delicate and meaningful way.”
A representative for Sazan Real Estate Development LLC defended the venture, saying the group hopes to create a “world-class destination” while focusing on “responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities.”
Protesters warn of environmental damage
The project has sparked demonstrations in Albania, including large protests in the capital, Tirana.
Protesters carried flamingo cutouts and chanted “Albania is not for sale” as environmental groups demanded more transparency about permits and construction activity.
Environmental biologist Melitjan Nezaj said, “The project is quite destructive,” arguing that it is planned within a protected landscape that remains one of the Mediterranean region’s most intact wetlands.
BirdLife Europe director Ariel Brunner also questioned the development, saying, “Transforming an entire island and river delta into a de-facto city cannot” coexist with nature.
The controversy remains unresolved. Albanian authorities have acknowledged an anti-corruption investigation related to the project, while environmental groups continue pressing for answers about permits, construction activity and the future of the protected coastline.
Meanwhile, Albania’s prime minister has insisted “the project has not actually begun yet and its environment impact is being worked on”.
