Jared Kushner’s Mysterious Role in the Trump Administration

Jared Kushner publicly stated, “I’m an investor now,” implying that he had left politics behind and would never return to Washington, even if Trump called him. Yet, without any official title, Kushner has returned to negotiate high-level agreements: two days before the joint U.S.–Israel strike against Iran, he was in Geneva for talks, and then he flew with Vice President Pence to Pakistan to discuss peace with Iran. No formal position, no transparency required—just the role of “presidential son-in-law,” which allows him to sit at the table with leaders like Putin, Netanyahu, and Zelensky, while at the same time continuing to manage Affinity Partners, his private fund with $2 billion from Saudi Arabia. The argument here is that, in Kushner's case, the distinction between public and private, between national interest and personal interest, has become indistinguishable. It is widely believed that it is enough not to hold an official position to avoid being subject to rules and oversight, but Kushner demonstrates that true power today is exercised precisely from this gray area: neither inside nor outside, always one step beyond the written rules. No other White House official, not even those who have done business with the Trump family, such as Steve Witkoff, has managed to avoid all forms of financial disclosure that Congress imposed after Watergate. For example, Witkoff had to publish his declaration of interests when he became a government official, even disclosing that he held shares in a cryptocurrency company founded with his children and the Trumps. Kushner, on the other hand, did not: no forms, no transparency, no rules, just the White House's word—“volunteer, he's just helping out.” All this while, according to The New York Times, he was trying to raise another five billion for his fund during the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he also represented the official U.S. delegation for the Gaza plan. When asked on 60 Minutes whether there was a conflict of interest, he replied: “What people call conflicts of interest, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships that we have throughout the world.” The story becomes even more paradoxical when you look at the numbers: one Trump official had submitted a 1,878-page disclosure, compared to the 234-page disclosure filed by the president himself. Kushner? Not a single line. Yet, throughout American history, transparency has been embraced as a natural antidote to corruption: the Constitution even includes a clause on emoluments, and George Washington warned that “foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government.” Here, the disconnect is complete: the very rules created to prevent foreign influence are being circumvented by those who, without holding office but with access to all key corridors of power, can negotiate with the Saudis today and mediate on Gaza tomorrow. The most human aspect of this story? Despite public pressure, Kushner sees no ethical problem: for him, experience and personal connections are an advantage, not a risk. But if transparency is only for those who have a nameplate on their door, then real power belongs to those who can afford not to have one. However, there is one point that no one is bringing to the table: what happens when the public figure closest to the president not only does not have to abide by the rules, but can also continue to do business in the private sphere without being accountable to anyone? This is a precedent that risks forever changing the definition of a conflict of interest and making transparency seem like a relic of the past. After all, Washington's words remain relevant: the problem is not just who holds power, but how they are accountable to others. If transparency becomes optional, trust in institutions becomes a gamble. If you think the difference between public and private is still fundamental, on Lara Notes you can press I'm In — it's your way of saying that this idea now concerns you. And if you happen to discuss Kushner or transparency at dinner or at work, on Lara Notes you can mark that moment with Shared Offline: that way, those who were with you know that the conversation was important. This story comes from The Atlantic, and it saved you almost four minutes compared to the original article.