In the White House clash between Chief of Staff John Kelly and ‘Javanka’ – Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump – the president isn’t fully on the side of his family.
The New York Times reported that President Trump has become frustrated with Kushner, whose security clearance downgrade and family business dealings have become yet another headache for the commander-in-chief.
Sources told the Times that while President Trump has told his daughter and her husband that they should remain in their roles, he’s privately asked Kelly to encourage their departure.
President Trump (left) is privately pushing his Chief of Staff John Kelly (center left) to show the door to his son-in-law Jared Kushner (center right) and daughter Ivanka Trump (right), according to new reporting from the New York Times
President Trump (center) may be trying to usher Ivanka Trump (left) and Jared Kushner (right) out the door
In private conversations, Trump has expressed both regret for Kushner taking on water in his current role, but also annoyance for having to deal with it.
This week, the news broke that Kelly’s new edict on interim security clearances ensnared Kushner, who in turn had his downgraded from ‘top secret’ to ‘secret.’
That has prompted ridiculous headlines like: ‘The White House chief calligrapher has a higher clearance than Jared Kushner.’
But the Washington Post also reported how foreign countries were trying to use Kushner’s family’s financial woes and his foreign policy inexperience against the top White House aide.
Officials in the United Arab Emirates, China, Israel and Mexico were discussing ways to use Kushner to their advantage, the Post wrote.
Friday smiles: Jared left home Friday morning with a folder marked ‘Facsimile Documents’
Ivanka left home Friday morning in an SUV, reading a copy of Friday’s New York Post
Before it became public knowledge that Kushner’s security clearance was being downgraded, Kelly said Kushner’s job wouldn’t be impacted.
‘As I told Jared days ago, I have full confidence in his ability to continue performing his duties in his foreign policy portfolio including overseeing our Israeli-Palestinian peace effort and serving as an integral part of our relationship with Mexico,’ Kelly said in a statement.
‘Everyone in the White House is grateful for these valuable contributions to furthering the president’s agenda. There is no truth to any suggestion otherwise,’ Kelly added.
But that’s not everyone’s take.
A Republican operative told the Hill newspaper that ‘Javanka’ have been fully side-lined.
‘Kelly effectively neutered Jared and Ivanka, rendering them useless,’ the source told the paper.
The source pointed to the fact that two of their closet allies – White House Communications Director Hope Hicks and Deputy Communications Director Josh Raffel – are heading out the door.
‘With Raffel and Hicks gone, they have zero PR department to spin their side of things,’ the Republican said. ‘The president threw them to the wolves on the security clearances, now it’s just a matter of time before they are gone.’
But whether or not the president may want his son-in-law and daughter at his side, Kushner is ‘digging in.’
‘Ivanka has made the decision she is not leaving the building and Jared is not going to leave Ivanka in the building alone,’ another source of the Hill’s said.