Critics who are already writing Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner’s political obituary were treated to a rebuttal Monday when Kushner was seen at the Jordanian ambassador’s residence to talk Middle East peace.
Kushner was pictured alongside Jordan’s King Abdullah, a mainstay of U.S. peace efforts and a significant regional ally, outside the Jordanian ambassador’s residence Monday in Washington.
Kushner’s continued engagement in a high-profile, if intractable issue, comes after Thanksgiving weekend reports that Ivanka Trump’s husband has been marginalized in White House turf battles and sidelined by firm-handed White House chief of staff John Kelly.
Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, left, and Jared Kushner, center right, arrive at the Jordanian Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C., Monday, Nov. 27, 2017
In one of those reports, Kelly told colleagues ‘Jared works for me,’ the New York Times reported, in an anecdote meant to show the new pecking order for an official who previously had virtually unlimited access to President Trump.
The Washington Post also reported that Kushner was both close to power and ‘marginalized’ in the White House, noting that he flew commercial to Saudi Arabia last month, meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but failed to get a heads-up on the imminent royal purge.
Kushner told the paper: ‘We’re here to stay. At the current moment, we’re charging forward.
He added: ‘My wife asked me the other day if we should be looking at new houses, so that’s a good sign.’
Kushner and Ivanka Trump moved to Washington and took unpaid jobs in the White House, on what was first described as a six-month trial that required them to find new schools for their young children.
Jared Kushner departs his home in Washington, D.C. at 8:06 am EST, Monday, Nov. 27, 2017, after weekend reports about his loss of influence
ROUGH DRAFT?: Jared Kushner talks with Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein as they depart the Jordanian Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C., Monday
‘During the campaign, I was more like a fox than a hedgehog. I was more of a generalist having to learn about and master a lot of skills quickly,’ Kushner said.
‘When I got to D.C., I came with an understanding that the problems here are so complex — and if they were easy problems, they would have been fixed before — and so I became more like the hedgehog, where it was more taking issues you care deeply about, going deep and devoting the time, energy and resources to trying to drive change,’ he said.
Outside of his policy pursuits, which include heading an Office of American Innovation, Kushner has attracted unwanted attention due to multiple disclosure failures, including on his form to get a government security clearance.
President Donald Trump, right, and King Abdullah II of Jordan arrive to a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L), U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L), Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2nd R) and King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein (R) of Jordan pose for a family photo during the Arabic Islamic American Summit at King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 21, 2017
Monday is the deadline for Kushner to turn over WikiLeaks emails to the Senate Judiciary Committee, under terms set by the committee after it learned he was forwarded emails that he did not turn over.
When Kelly took over, he made sure officials including Kushner had to go through or inform him to see the president.
Kushner defended the order in the Post interview.
‘The order allows this place to function,’ Kushner said. ‘My number one priority is a high-functioning White House because I believe in the president’s agenda, and I think it should get executed.’
He continues to focus on trade issues with a focus on China.