Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday declined to say if President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has spoiled U.S. diplomatic interests, fueling rumors about renewed tension between the top diplomat and senior White House adviser.
Kushner has faced a barrage of negative headlines in recent weeks after losing his top secret security clearance and coming under scrutiny for instances in which his government work appeared to overlap with his family’s real estate empire.
Asked Monday if the controversy surrounding Kushner has helped or hurt U.S. diplomacy, Tillerson told reporters to contact the White House.
“With respect to Mr. Kushner’s portfolio of assignments that the president has given him, I think it’s best to leave any comment on that to him or the White House,” he said.
Multiple outlets have reported that both Tillerson and White House chief of staff John Kelly have expressed immense frustration over Kushner’s endeavors in the foreign policy arena, claiming his own agenda has often interfered with issues that are traditionally handled by State Department officials.
Kushner is expected to unveil the details of his long-awaited Middle East peace plan in the coming weeks following a series of White House meetings last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
