Is Jared Kushner Being Considered as Secretary of State? Trump Allies Are Discussing It | Vanity Fair

Written by Gabriel Sherman

As Donald Trump appears poised to secure the Republican nomination, conjecture has turned to who might feature in his potential administration. Media attention has centered primarily on who Trump may select as his vice president, with possible choices including Senator Tim Scott, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Governor Kristi Noem, and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Nonetheless, the exact influence of whoever Trump picks is uncertain because Trump prioritizes personal connections and his family above a person's official role in the West Wing.

Therefore, it is potentially more significant that there are whispers among Republicans of Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, being considered for secretary of state in Trump's possible second term. Two sources claim that key Republicans are debating about Kushner's potential appointment to lead Foggy Bottom if Trump is victorious in November. These sources indicate that some Republican senators have quietly proposed this to Kushner. As per one source, Kushner stated that his focus is on his family and business at the moment, and he would only contemplate accepting such a position later in the summer.

Kushner refrained from commenting. The Trump campaign has not provided a timely response to Vanity Fair's request for comment.

If Trump decides to nominate Kushner as his secretary of state, it would bring both challenges and advantages for the administration as well as for the United States. There would be ethical questions surrounding Kushner's financial ties in the Middle East, particularly with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fun, which has committed $2 billion to his private equity firm. These issues will be scrutinized by Congress during a confirmation hearing. Simultaneously, many senators might favor Kushner over committed MAGA proponents — General Mike Flynn or Richard Grenell — who could exacerbate Trump's tendencies to disrupt long-established alliances such as NATO. "It would demonstrate that Trump is not exclusively on a revenge tour," said a source.

Kushner's past diplomatic work in the Middle East might be construed as a positive factor by legislators considering the ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hamas. In his time in the White House, Kushner assisted in negotiating the Abraham Accords between Israel and both, the UAE and Bahrain. Peace talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia, mediated by the US, continued under the Biden administration but were supposedly postponed quickly after a Hamas attack on October 7. Another source stated that Kushner has been interacting with Arab leaders to negotiate the release of over 100 hostages still held in Gaza. It was said in December by Axios that Kushner and his spouse, Ivanka Trump, coordinated a meeting between bipartisan business figures and the Qatari prime minister.