Kushner, one of the most omnipresent officials in the Trump administration who was tasked with far-reaching responsibilities from Middle East peace to criminal justice reform, has maintained a low profile since leaving the White House, moving from Washington to Miami with wife Ivanka Trump on January 20.
“Right now, he’s just checked out of politics,” one person told CNN, with several people telling CNN that Kushner is truly — this time — effectively done with Trump’s rhetoric. Another person familiar with Kushner’s new chapter said he wants closure and a fresh start, one that doesn’t include advising his father-in-law on a daily basis. But two other people who spoke with CNN indicated that Trump has been telling those in his inner circle he is angry with Kushner.
“The Biden administration, however, has one asset that the Trump administration never had—a relationship with Iran. While many were troubled by the Biden team’s opening offer to work with Europe and rejoin the Iran deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, I saw it as a smart diplomatic move,” Kushner wrote.
He continued, “The Biden administration called Iran’s bluff. It revealed to the Europeans that the JCPOA is dead and only a new framework can bring stability for the future. When Iran asked for a reward merely for initiating negotiations, President Biden did the right thing and refused.”
For his part, Secretary of State Tony Blinken has praised some of Trump’s efforts as it relates to peace in the Middle East, saying last week that “the initiatives that led to steps by countries to normalize relations with Israel were a very good thing and something we want to build on.”
Kushner also described the Arab-Israeli conflict as “nothing more than a real-estate dispute between Israelis and Palestinians that need not hold up Israel’s relations with the broader Arab world.”
“The table is set. If it is smart, the Biden administration will seize this historic opportunity to unleash the Middle East’s potential, keep America safe, and help the region turn the page on a generation of conflict and instability,” he wrote.
CNN’s Kate Bennett, Dana Bash, and Paul LeBlanc contributed to this report.
