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Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s former aide and son-in-law, announced on Tuesday that he will be joining forces with the Saudi crown prince, who was implicated in the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, after leaving the administration. defended business transactions;
Mr. Kushner worked on a wide range of issues and policies for the Trump administration, including Middle East peace efforts, and developed a relationship with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has overseen socio-economic reforms and a widespread crackdown on dissent. Kingdom.
After leaving the White House, Kushner founded a private equity firm that reportedly received a $2 billion investment from a sovereign wealth fund controlled by Prince Mohammed, drawing scrutiny from Democrats. .
Speaking at a summit in Miami sponsored by media company Axios on Tuesday, Kushner said he was following all laws and ethical rules. He denied his belief that there was an alleged conflict of interest in his own business contracts.
“When my critics ask me about the work we’ve done in the White House, what I tell them is that not a single decision we made was in the interest of the United States,” Kushner said. That’s what I’m pointing out.”
He said sovereign wealth funds are among the most prestigious investors in the world, with large stakes in companies such as Uber, Nintendo and Microsoft.
He also defended Prince Mohammed in 2018 when asked if he believed a US intelligence report that the crown prince had approved the killing of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Khashoggi. . The prince denies his involvement.
When asked if he believed the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies, Kushner’s first response was, “Are we really still doing this?”
Kushner said he had not seen an intelligence report released in 2021 that concluded the crown prince likely authorized Khashoggi’s killing inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
“I know the guy I dealt with, and I think he’s a visionary leader. I think what he’s done in this region has been transformational,” Kushner said. .
He supported the Trump administration’s policies and said President Joe Biden would reverse his initial stance of excluding Saudi Arabia for human rights abuses and instead work with the crown prince on issues such as oil production and security. “It’s one of my compliments.” regional.
“I understand why people are upset about that,” Kushner said of Khashoggi’s killing. “I think what happened there was really horrible. But again, our job was to represent America and try to move American things forward,” Kushner also said. Trump has said he has no intention of returning to the White House if he wins the 2024 presidential election, saying he is focused on his investment business and lives out of the public eye with his family in Florida. was.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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