President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is micromanaging the National Security Council (NSC), according to a Wednesday report from the Washington Free Beacon.
The NSC advises the president on foreign policy and defense, and Kushner’s heavy involvement in causing trouble for the young administration, sources told the Free Beacon. Kushner, who has no foreign policy or military experience, has been saddled with a lot of responsibility in the Trump administration.
The 36-year old is reportedly tasked with achieving Middle East peace and serving as a liaison to China and Mexico. He also recently visited Iraq to be updated on the fight against ISIS. New York magazine reported that Kushner was instrumental in last week’s airstrikes on a Syrian airfield.
“Jared has been pegged as the ‘shadow secretary of state.’ But in a way he’s kind of also the shadow national security adviser and secretary of defense,” a White House official told the Free Beacon.
NSC staffers reportedly have to go through Kushner before putting out talking points or statements.
A National Security Council official said to the Free Beacon: “Such direct control of foreign policy from the West Wing has never happened before. It just creates a lot of drama. People just don’t know how to deal with it. We’re respectful of his position, but it’s confusing the policymaking process.”