Nonentity stays in the background

Oh please.

Facing scrutiny for cultivating close ties with Saudi Arabia’s powerful and domineering crown prince, Jared Kushner has remained intentionally in the background this week as West Wing officials feared a more public role would prompt backlash, multiple people familiar with the matter say.

A more public role as what? He’s just some guy, he’s not a foreign policy genius. He has no business being in the foreground at any time.

Kushner instead has been operating behind-the-scenes to mitigate the fallout but leaving public explanations to others as his father-in-law’s administration confronts a full-blown diplomatic crisis over the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.

“Operating” how? That makes it sound as if he’s a diplomat or a state department civil servant. He’s a real estate marketer, period, end of qualifications.

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser has remained involved in the administration’s efforts, two sources familiar with the matter said, quietly leveraging his close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman throughout the saga when asked and retreating to the sidelines when necessary. The sources said Kushner is wary of overstepping, mindful of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s purview as the nation’s top diplomat.

Overstepping what? His very presence is overstepping, it’s all overstepping, it’s Trump making his horse a high official. All this “has remained involved in the administration’s efforts” and “quietly leveraging his close relationship” and “retreating to the sidelines” crap assumes that Kushner is a legitimate expert on foreign policy, and that is in no way true. Can’t CNN report on him without normalizing his extremely abnormal presence and role in Trump’s gang of thieves?

[I]nstead of flying to the Saudi capital this week with Pompeo, Kushner remained in Washington, attending West Wing meetings as scheduled and exuding a calm demeanor amid mounting questions about whether he put too much trust in Prince Mohammed.

That’s not “exuding a calm demeanor,” it’s the placidity of an empty mind.

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