He botched his first foray into Middle East diplomacy before Trump even stepped into office after lobbying Britain to scuttle a United Nations vote on denouncing Israeli settlements, behind the back of sitting U.S. President Barack Obama's outgoing administration.
Jared Kushner at a congressional listening session with Republican lawmakers at the White House, Feb. 16, 2017.
President Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law landed in the country mid-afternoon local time on Monday, though the trip was confirmed to USA media by officials around 4 a.m. local time.
Kushner's clout has reached the point where, during a March meeting at the Situation Room, Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. almost had to sit away from the table until Kushner voluntarily gave up his own seat. Capt. Greg Hicks, a spokesman for Dunford, said Kushner was "traveling on behalf of the president to express the president's support and commitment to the government of Iraq and USA personnel now engaged in the campaign". The official said that Kushner wanted to see the situation in Iraq for himself and show support for the Baghdad government. They will be meeting with Iraqi, American and coalition officials.
Boston Marathon attendee motivates runners with Patriots' Super Bowl comeback
Keflezighi, 41, said he plans to enter the New York Marathon, which he won in 2009, one last time in the fall before retiring. This year, more than 2,957 qualified runners were left out of the Boston Marathon, which operates a lottery system for entry.
President Trump also named Kushner a White House senior adviser, stating that he would work closely with Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus to implement the administration's policies.
Kushner's wife Ivanka, the 35-year-old first daughter, also plays a key role in advising her father.
The trip has demonstrated the far-reaching portfolio of Kushner, 36, who is part of Trump's innermost circle and who has been given a wide range of domestic and foreign policy responsibilities, including working on a Middle East peace deal. Maybe that's why the Senate Intelligence Committee plans to question Kushner in the ongoing investigation of Russian interference in the USA election - and Kushner's meetings with Russian ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak. He was expected to have a major role in meetings later this week between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at Trump's winter retreat in Palm Beach, Florida.
The trip has raised some eyebrows because Mr. Kushner, who met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi two weeks ago on his trip to Washington, is traveling to Baghdad before Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson makes the same trip. (China is reportedly funneling its messages to Trump through Kushner rather than the State Department, the New York Times reported Sunday).
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