Kushnerâs shrinking profile: Trump's son
Jared Kushner
A month ago  Jared Kushner - President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser - made a surprise trip to Riyadh to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman  the fellow son of a world leader who is making waves with crackdowns and modernization efforts.
Kushner  36  flew commercial and the White House only announced the visit once he was already on the ground. There were no news releases touting the specifics of his meetings  which included two days of one-on-one and small private audiences with Salman  32. White House officials said the trip was part of  Kushner 's effort as Trump's adviser to build regional support for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Just days after  Kushner  landed back in Washington  Salman launched a purge of allegedly corrupt Saudi officials also seen as rivals to the prince and his father  King Salman.  Kushner  had no knowledge or advance warning of the move  and the topic was not natural for the two to discuss  a White House official close to  him  said. "Jared's portfolio is Israeli-Palestinian peace  and he respects what his lane is " the official said.
The journey revealed  Kushner  as a figure who seems both near the center of power and increasingly marginalized at the same time.  His  once sprawling White House portfolio  which included walk-in privileges to the Oval Office  has been diminished to its original scope under Chief of Staff John Kelly  and he has notably receded from public view.
His still-evolving role in the investigations of Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice also make him a potential risk to Trump  even as he enjoys the special status of being married to the boss's daughter  Ivanka  and serving as one of the president's senior confidants.  Kushner 's family faces additional pressures over a troubled New York City skyscraper at 666 Fifth Ave.  which he purchased in his role as head of his family's real estate business but which he has divested from since entering the administration.
In a rare interview in his West Wing office earlier this month - a silver bowl of Halloween candy still on the table -  Kushner  offered his own version of the fable of the fox  who knows many things  and the hedgehog  who knows one important thing.
This portrait of  Kushner  comes from interviews with Kushner himself  as well as 12 senior administration officials  aides  outside advisers and confidants  some of them demanding anonymity to offer a more candid assessment.
Allies say  Kushner 's subtle shift into the background of the West Wing reflects  his  natural inclination to work hard and eschew the limelight  while  his  enemies gloat that it stems from a series of avoidable missteps that are the result of  his  political naivete. Following recent reports  which the White House denied  that the president privately blames  Kushner  for Mueller's widening probe  Breitbart  the conservative website  snarkily dubbed him  "Mr. Perfect."
Some aides scoff at the notion that  Kushner  isn't still whispering to the president about official business. But one of Kelly's conditions for taking the job was that everyone  including  Kushner  and  his  wife  had to go through  him  to reach the president  and Kelly has made clear that  Kushner  reports to  him   aides said.
The new hierarchy is part of Kelly's effort to sideline  Kushner   said one Republican in frequent contact with the White House  though others say the order Kelly has imposed has simply liberated  Kushner  to focus on  his  own portfolio - and eased some of the animosity  his  colleagues felt toward  him .
 Kushner  said  he  welcomes the change. "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  still maintains the broad portfolio  he  took on at the beginning of the administration that made  him  a punchline among aides on Capitol Hill: Peace in the Middle East  as well as Canada  Mexico and China  and overseeing the Office of American Innovation  an in-house group that focuses on tackling longer-term government challenges.
 He  attends meetings of  his  innovation group once a week  often on a Tuesday or Wednesday for an hour-long check-in and progress update. The innovation office launched with great fanfare in March  but some aides recently said they could not pinpoint exactly what it has accomplished.
 Kushner  and  his  allies reject that assessment  saying the office is focused on long-term projects. They say  for example  that the group helped the Department of Veterans Affairs launch their electronic medical records initiative in June  with  Kushner  expediting the process by calling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and asking him to send over people from his department to help.
 Kushner  is one of the advisers helping on negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement  and  he  accompanied Trump on the first half of  his  Asia trip earlier this month.
But the main focus for  Kushner   an Orthodox Jew  is working to bring peace in the Middle East - a task that has bedeviled negotiators far more experienced in the region for generations. What  Kushner  brings to the effort  say several senior White House officials  is personal relationships with players on all sides and a willingness to bet on long shot outcomes.
A month ago   [TGT]  - President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser - made a surprise trip to Riyadh to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman  the fellow son of a world leader who is making waves with crackdowns and modernization efforts.
Kushner  36  flew commercial and the White House only announced the visit once he was already on the ground. There were no news releases touting the specifics of his meetings  which included two days of one-on-one and small private audiences with Salman  32. White House officials said the trip was part of  Kushner 's effort as Trump's adviser to build regional support for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Just days after  Kushner  landed back in Washington  Salman launched a purge of allegedly corrupt Saudi officials also seen as rivals to the prince and his father  King Salman.  Kushner  had no knowledge or advance warning of the move  and the topic was not natural for the two to discuss  a White House official close to  him  said. "Jared's portfolio is Israeli-Palestinian peace  and he respects what his lane is " the official said.
The journey revealed  Kushner  as a figure who seems both near the center of power and increasingly marginalized at the same time.  His  once sprawling White House portfolio  which included walk-in privileges to the Oval Office  has been diminished to its original scope under Chief of Staff John Kelly  and he has notably receded from public view.
His still-evolving role in the investigations of Russian election interference and possible obstruction of justice also make him a potential risk to Trump  even as he enjoys the special status of being married to the boss's daughter  Ivanka  and serving as one of the president's senior confidants.  Kushner 's family faces additional pressures over a troubled New York City skyscraper at 666 Fifth Ave.  which he purchased in his role as head of his family's real estate business but which he has divested from since entering the administration.
In a rare interview in his West Wing office earlier this month - a silver bowl of Halloween candy still on the table -  Kushner  offered his own version of the fable of the fox  who knows many things  and the hedgehog  who knows one important thing.
This portrait of  Kushner  comes from interviews with Kushner himself  as well as 12 senior administration officials  aides  outside advisers and confidants  some of them demanding anonymity to offer a more candid assessment.
Allies say  Kushner 's subtle shift into the background of the West Wing reflects  his  natural inclination to work hard and eschew the limelight  while  his  enemies gloat that it stems from a series of avoidable missteps that are the result of  his  political naivete. Following recent reports  which the White House denied  that the president privately blames  Kushner  for Mueller's widening probe  Breitbart  the conservative website  snarkily dubbed him  "Mr. Perfect."
Some aides scoff at the notion that  Kushner  isn't still whispering to the president about official business. But one of Kelly's conditions for taking the job was that everyone  including  Kushner  and  his  wife  had to go through  him  to reach the president  and Kelly has made clear that  Kushner  reports to  him   aides said.
The new hierarchy is part of Kelly's effort to sideline  Kushner   said one Republican in frequent contact with the White House  though others say the order Kelly has imposed has simply liberated  Kushner  to focus on  his  own portfolio - and eased some of the animosity  his  colleagues felt toward  him .
 Kushner  said  he  welcomes the change. "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  still maintains the broad portfolio  he  took on at the beginning of the administration that made  him  a punchline among aides on Capitol Hill: Peace in the Middle East  as well as Canada  Mexico and China  and overseeing the Office of American Innovation  an in-house group that focuses on tackling longer-term government challenges.
 He  attends meetings of  his  innovation group once a week  often on a Tuesday or Wednesday for an hour-long check-in and progress update. The innovation office launched with great fanfare in March  but some aides recently said they could not pinpoint exactly what it has accomplished.
 Kushner  and  his  allies reject that assessment  saying the office is focused on long-term projects. They say  for example  that the group helped the Department of Veterans Affairs launch their electronic medical records initiative in June  with  Kushner  expediting the process by calling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and asking him to send over people from his department to help.
 Kushner  is one of the advisers helping on negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement  and  he  accompanied Trump on the first half of  his  Asia trip earlier this month.
But the main focus for  Kushner   an Orthodox Jew  is working to bring peace in the Middle East - a task that has bedeviled negotiators far more experienced in the region for generations. What  Kushner  brings to the effort  say several senior White House officials  is personal relationships with players on all sides and a willingness to bet on long shot outcomes.