Trump son-in-law Kushner to take senior White House role
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jared Kushner, son-in-law of of President-elect Donald Trump walked from Trump Tower, in New York. Kushner is taking steps to distance himself from his sprawling New York real estate business, in what is the clearest sign yet he is planning to take a position in his father-in-law’s administration.
NEW YORK >> President-elect Donald Trump appointed his influential son-in-law Jared Kushner as a White House senior adviser today, putting the young real estate executive in position to exert broad sway over both domestic and foreign policy, particularly Middle East issues and trade negotiations.
Trump has come to rely heavily on Kushner, who is married to the president-elect’s daughter Ivanka. Since the election, the political novice has been one of the transition team’s main liaisons to foreign governments, communicating with Israeli officials and meeting Sunday with Britain’s foreign minister. He’s also huddled with congressional leaders and helped interview Cabinet candidates.
Ivanka Trump, who also played a significant role advising her father during the presidential campaign, will not be taking a formal White House position. Transition officials said the mother of three young children wanted to focus on moving her family from New York to Washington, though a person with knowledge of the decision said her business, a clothing line and lifestyle brand, was complicating her move into government.
Kushner’s own eligibility for the White House could be challenged, given a 1967 law meant to bar government officials from hiring relatives. Kushner lawyer Jamie Gorelick argued that the law does not apply to the West Wing. She cited a later congressional measure to allow the president “unfettered” and “sweeping” authority in hiring staff.
In a statement, Trump said Kushner will be an “invaluable member of my team as I set and execute an ambitious agenda.”
Kushner will resign as CEO of his family’s real estate company and as publisher of the New York Observer. He will also divest “substantial assets,” Gorelick said. The lawyer said Kushner would not be taking a salary. Ivanka Trump will also be leaving her executive roles at the Trump Organization — her father’s real estate company — and her own fashion brands.
Kushner, who turns 36 on Tuesday, emerged as one of Trump’s most powerful campaign advisers during his father-in-law’s often unorthodox presidential bid — a calming presence in an otherwise chaotic campaign. Soft-spoken and press-shy, he was deeply involved in the campaign’s digital efforts and was usually at Trump’s side during the election’s closing weeks.
He has continued to be a commanding presence during the transition, working alongside incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon. He’s played a key role in coordinating Trump’s contacts with foreign leaders and has been talking with foreign government officials himself, according to a person with knowledge of the conversations.
Last week, Kushner and Bannon — the controversial conservative media executive — met with British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.
Kushner and Bannon have also worked closely on issues related to Israel, including discussions over moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, which could inflame tensions in the Middle East, and on the Trump administration’s response to a United Nations Security Council measure condemning Israeli settlements.
Kushner is also weighing in on domestic policy. He joined other Trump advisers tonight for a meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on tax reform. He championed the pick of his friend Gary Cohn, the president of Goldman Sachs, for a top White House economic post, and Cohn’s influence within Trump’s team is said to be growing.
Those with knowledge of Kushner’s role spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss internal matters.
The anti-nepotism law had appeared to be the main obstacle to Kushner joining the White House. In arguing that the measure did not apply to the West Wing, Gorelick cited an opinion from two federal court judges in a 1993 case involving Hillary Clinton’s work on her husband’s health care law. She said Trump planned to seek an advisory opinion on the nepotism law from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel.
Gorelick worked in the Clinton administration at both the Pentagon and Justice Department.
Norman Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama’s government ethics lawyer, said there is a “murky legal landscape” regarding the anti-nepotism law. But he said Kushner appeared to be taking the proper steps regarding the ethics and disclosure requirements for federal employees.
Like his father-in-law, Kushner pushed a mid-sized real estate company into the high-stakes battlefield of Manhattan. Though he is often viewed as more moderate than Trump, people close to him say he fully bought into the Trump campaign’s fiery populist message that resonated with white, working-class voters. He never publicly distanced himself from Trump’s more provocative stances, including the candidate’s call for a Muslim-immigration ban and his doubts about President Barack Obama’s birthplace.
Kushner’s place in Trump’s orbit — vital but often discreet — was vividly on display last month, when the president-elect toured the Carrier plant in Indiana to tout the jobs he says he saved.
Trump marched around the plant with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, shaking hands with workers, posing for photos and flashing his thumbs-up to the traveling press. Kushner stayed away from the cameras, lingering a deferential 10 or 20 feet from Trump while marveling at the scene.
“Look at these people,” Kushner was overheard saying as he watched dozens of workers cheer. “This is why he won.”
AP writer Steve Peoples contributed to this report.
24 responses to “Trump son-in-law Kushner to take senior White House role”
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Netanyahu’s man in the White House? Even Trump has to blow low.
The current political scandal in Israel (which involves Sheldon Adelson) may be the beginning of the end for Bibi.
Just what Trump needs — advice from someone who knows as little about governing as he does.
agree
A novice politician? How about NO experience even in HS student body.
Following practice from Sadaam-Insane Hussein in placing his family into ruling party positions/decisions. From Stupid to stupider.
testing, testing, testing.
Nepotism is disallowed here in Hawaii’s State and City government. Is it okay in our country’s capitol? Serious question. Can anyone out there share info on that? Thank you.
The Chump needs a psychiatrist to advise him not a 36 year old baby whose father is a crook.
Well, you read it too. Clinton had Hillary helping him during his stead.
Need more?
The problem with most of the comments on this forum is they are mostly Demo-based to include SA. For this fact, most Hawaiians (by Hawaiians, I’m referring to people that live in Hawaii) are inundated by constant Democratic way of thinking and do not know how MOST of America feels.
I am as objective as they come. My father is a staunch Republican, Mother a Democrat and I voted for Obama the last 2 times, but, I also believe in equal rights and a government free of oppression and right to free speech.
My only wish is SA would be a little more down the middle when it comes to it’s stories it covers.
You are perfectly correct. The days of unbiased news coverage has gone the way of the dodo. Any normal person would understand that there are no career politicians or multi-billionaires for that matter that are completely untainted. That is the nature of public life, and we are all human.
I’m waiting for the Russians to hack his Twitter account and post some very obnoxious things. Wait,no need for that.
SA is a member of “mainstream” media….slanted to the left.
It looks like your family has political differences of their own so my advice to you is to clean your house before worrying about everybody else. Either that or go back to the gold course.
Golf
All I get from the news swirling around both parties is, that it must be nice to be born into wealth and privilege. Kudos really to Mr. Jared Kushner, who parlayed a $20 million real estate deal while attending Harvard. Probably doesn’t worry about paying off student loans.
Father Charles Kushner was convicted of tax evasion,fraud,witness tampering,filming his brother in law with a prostitute he hired to blackmail him. Bottom barrel sleaze. Also slid Harvard millions in donation for a low scoring son. Buying influence. Oh, this was recently. Dad’s a FELON. Nice bunch $$$ will take over Washington. This will not be a good year for trumpf. Conflicts up the yang. And we aren’t even looking at his taxes yet. He will have to bust it out to prove he has no foreign interest. Lol. This will be easy.
Makes perfect sense considering his extensive experience in international relations, nuclear nonproliferation, energy policy- oh wait…
Never mind, he’s not remotely qualified to be a senior advisor to the President of the United States.
You are right still probably wearing underoos.
Trump named Kushner to be Senior White House Advisor based on his experience as a senior — once in high school and once at the college that his father bribed to accept him.
He’s the anointed “Apprentice”. This is a circus show. God Help US.
Kushner seems like a level headed young man and will be an asset to the Trump administration.
I agree, NaloGirl.
It’s kind of pathetic that our next President (70yo) needs a handler half his age (36yo), but this appears to have been the case throughout the campaign and transition. So be it.
I don’t know much about Kushner, but what I have read he seems more moderate and level-headed, and most-important of all his erratic father-in-law apparently listens to his advice. Although they are new to Washington politics, Kushner and Ivanka do appear to live in reality, unlike some of Daddy Donald’s other scary advisers.
Kushner for POTUS and Ivanka for VPOTUS!
#MAGA? (Make America Green-horn Again?)
For the definitive story on who Kushner is and is role in the Trump operation, see:
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/jared-kushner-trump-administration-power.html
what’s everybody grumbling about, so he makes his son-in-law his adviser he is not getting paid for it,and that 67 law barring relatives to advise him is only if you are getting paid for it which he is not, like when Kennedy used his brother Robert as AG now he got paid. so all you liberals stop crying over nothing.