He was an intern with the renowned Manhattan district attorney, Robert Morgenthau. But despite his Alpha Male training, almost everyone in US politics and media is astonished at the sheer range of tasks given to Jared Kushner by his father-in-law, President Donald Trump.
Mr Kushner, 36, who is an Orthodox Jew and married to Ivanka Trump, is being called the “Secretary of State for Everything” by American TV channels.
To date, he has been charged with sorting out Middle East peace; preparing for a state visit by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping; heading a new Department of Innovation; and overseeing the reorganisation of the federal government, using the various business techniques he employed before entering the White House’s West Wing.
“If you can’t produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can,” Mr Trump reportedly said to Mr Kushner, who has absolutely no background in diplomacy, from the stage of an inaugural party.
Not since President Franklin Roosevelt has a White House staffer had such a variety of responsibilities, say commentators, noting that Mr Kushner is also just back from a visit to Iraq with the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford.
Mr Kushner has additionally been asked to mend America’s strained ties with Mexico, a big ask since it is Mr Trump who has done most of the straining in recent months. And he has been put in charge of fighting America’s prescription drug abuse epidemic; taking care of military veterans; and reforming the criminal justice system.
The President’s son-in-law is said to be used to multi-tasking, as before entering the White house he had to resign from 260 boards and businesses. Critics naturally say he has no hope of completing even one of these tasks, but admirers praise the transparency of the appointments and say they give everyone a clearer view of Mr Trump’s objectives.
