White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at a reporter on Wednesday for asking about Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner profiting off the Middle East while being involved in government business in the region.
Six months after leaving the White House in Trump’s first term Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, despite concerns within the kingdom about Kushner’s inexperience.
Kushner’s investment company Affinity Partners also saw assets under management increased by 60% last year to $4.8 billion, according to a regulatory filing after it received a cash injection from other Middle East investors including Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, Reuters reported citing a regulatory filing.
Asked about Kushner’s involvement in government business while raking in billions, Leavitt snapped at the reporter.
“I think it’s frankly despicable that you’re trying to suggest that it’s inappropriate for Jared Kushner, who is widely respected around the world and has great trust and relationships with these critical partners in these countries, to strike a 20-point comprehensive, detailed peace plan that no other administration would ever be able to achieve!” Leavitt told New York Times White House reporter Shawn McCreesh.
Leavitt praised Kushner for doing the “noble” thing by “donating his energy and his time to our government” to work on the administration’s proposed peace plan to end the war in Gaza.
“Virtually everyone in the world is supportive of this plan that Jared Kushner offered his time to help put together alongside our special envoy, Witkoff, the Vice President, the President of the United States, Secretary Rubio, and the President’s entire national security team,” Leavitt said.
