"We have to be able to work with our allies and Saudi Arabia has I think been a very strong ally in terms of pushing back on Iran's aggression," Kushner said during Citizen by CNN. (Photo: CNN/Screengrab)
Oct 22, 2018
After kicking off a rare public appearance on Monday by answering a series of laughable softball questions from CNN's Van Jones--"How did you get this job? You have like the dopest job in the world"--President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner admitted that the facts of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder are separate from "what we want to believe" and argued that whatever the administration's "fact-finding phase" reveals, the U.S. must stick with its brutal ally to counter Iran.
"We're getting facts in from multiple places," Kushner said during Citizen by CNN, a day-long political forum in New York City. "Once those facts come in, the secretary of state will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe... We have our eyes wide open."
Watch:
\u201cCNN's Van Jones: \u201cDo you trust the Saudis to investigate themselves?\u201d\n\nJared Kushner: \u201cWe\u2019re getting facts in from multiple places. Once those facts come in, the Secretary of State will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe\u201d #CITIZENCNN\u201d— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1540218856
Critics immediately recognized that Kushner's remarks were "probably more accurate" than he intended, as they suggest that the Trump administration is picking and choosing what evidence to accept rather than letting the facts of Khashoggi's murder--and the Saudi kingdom's role--speak for themselves.
\u201c"... help us determine what WE WANT to believe." Interesting phrasing. And probably more accurate than Kushner intended.\u201d— Ned Price (@Ned Price) 1540219544
"We have to be able to work with our allies and Saudi Arabia has I think been a very strong ally in terms of pushing back on Iran's aggression," Kushner added.
Asked what advice he has given to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman throughout the international crisis sparked by the kingdom's allegedly gruesome murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi, Kushner said he told the crown prince to be "transparent and to take this very seriously."
While Kushner's attempts to downplay Saudi Arabia role in Khashoggi's murder were widely condemned, journalists also slammed Van Jones for failing to press Kushner on his close relationship with the crown prince and refusing to heavily scrutinize the Trump administration's behavior following the journalist's killing.
\u201cIn recent weeks, Lesley Stahl, the AP White House team & now Van Jones have all secured rare sit-down interviews with Trump and Kushner; rare opportunities for a non-Fox interviewer to hold this dishonest, racist, unhinged White House to account. \n\nAnd they've all blown it. Sigh.\u201d— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1540223630
While Trump has publicly insisted that Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman are just "two young guys" who don't really know each other all that well, the president has reportedly bristled in private that Kushner's "close relationship with the crown prince has become a liability and left the White House with no good options."
According to the New York Times, Kushner has been pressuring Trump behind the scenes to support the crown prince, even as he is being accused of playing a central role in Khashoggi's murder.
"Kushner has argued that the crown prince can survive the outrage just as he has weathered past criticism," the Times reported last week.
Just as Kushner appeared at the network's "political forum," CNN aired exclusive camera footage that appears to show a Khashoggi "body double" leaving Saudi Arabia's Turkish consulate wearing the journalist's clothes to give the appearance that he left the building alive.
The footage, which reportedly came from Turkish officials, was played on television just days after the Saudis claimed Khashoggi died in a "fistfight," not an orchestrated assassination--an explanation that was immediately denounced as ludicrous and completely inconsistent with the facts.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
After kicking off a rare public appearance on Monday by answering a series of laughable softball questions from CNN's Van Jones--"How did you get this job? You have like the dopest job in the world"--President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner admitted that the facts of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder are separate from "what we want to believe" and argued that whatever the administration's "fact-finding phase" reveals, the U.S. must stick with its brutal ally to counter Iran.
"We're getting facts in from multiple places," Kushner said during Citizen by CNN, a day-long political forum in New York City. "Once those facts come in, the secretary of state will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe... We have our eyes wide open."
Watch:
\u201cCNN's Van Jones: \u201cDo you trust the Saudis to investigate themselves?\u201d\n\nJared Kushner: \u201cWe\u2019re getting facts in from multiple places. Once those facts come in, the Secretary of State will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe\u201d #CITIZENCNN\u201d— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1540218856
Critics immediately recognized that Kushner's remarks were "probably more accurate" than he intended, as they suggest that the Trump administration is picking and choosing what evidence to accept rather than letting the facts of Khashoggi's murder--and the Saudi kingdom's role--speak for themselves.
\u201c"... help us determine what WE WANT to believe." Interesting phrasing. And probably more accurate than Kushner intended.\u201d— Ned Price (@Ned Price) 1540219544
"We have to be able to work with our allies and Saudi Arabia has I think been a very strong ally in terms of pushing back on Iran's aggression," Kushner added.
Asked what advice he has given to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman throughout the international crisis sparked by the kingdom's allegedly gruesome murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi, Kushner said he told the crown prince to be "transparent and to take this very seriously."
While Kushner's attempts to downplay Saudi Arabia role in Khashoggi's murder were widely condemned, journalists also slammed Van Jones for failing to press Kushner on his close relationship with the crown prince and refusing to heavily scrutinize the Trump administration's behavior following the journalist's killing.
\u201cIn recent weeks, Lesley Stahl, the AP White House team & now Van Jones have all secured rare sit-down interviews with Trump and Kushner; rare opportunities for a non-Fox interviewer to hold this dishonest, racist, unhinged White House to account. \n\nAnd they've all blown it. Sigh.\u201d— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1540223630
While Trump has publicly insisted that Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman are just "two young guys" who don't really know each other all that well, the president has reportedly bristled in private that Kushner's "close relationship with the crown prince has become a liability and left the White House with no good options."
According to the New York Times, Kushner has been pressuring Trump behind the scenes to support the crown prince, even as he is being accused of playing a central role in Khashoggi's murder.
"Kushner has argued that the crown prince can survive the outrage just as he has weathered past criticism," the Times reported last week.
Just as Kushner appeared at the network's "political forum," CNN aired exclusive camera footage that appears to show a Khashoggi "body double" leaving Saudi Arabia's Turkish consulate wearing the journalist's clothes to give the appearance that he left the building alive.
The footage, which reportedly came from Turkish officials, was played on television just days after the Saudis claimed Khashoggi died in a "fistfight," not an orchestrated assassination--an explanation that was immediately denounced as ludicrous and completely inconsistent with the facts.
After kicking off a rare public appearance on Monday by answering a series of laughable softball questions from CNN's Van Jones--"How did you get this job? You have like the dopest job in the world"--President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner admitted that the facts of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder are separate from "what we want to believe" and argued that whatever the administration's "fact-finding phase" reveals, the U.S. must stick with its brutal ally to counter Iran.
"We're getting facts in from multiple places," Kushner said during Citizen by CNN, a day-long political forum in New York City. "Once those facts come in, the secretary of state will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe... We have our eyes wide open."
Watch:
\u201cCNN's Van Jones: \u201cDo you trust the Saudis to investigate themselves?\u201d\n\nJared Kushner: \u201cWe\u2019re getting facts in from multiple places. Once those facts come in, the Secretary of State will work with our national security team to help us determine what we want to believe\u201d #CITIZENCNN\u201d— CNN Politics (@CNN Politics) 1540218856
Critics immediately recognized that Kushner's remarks were "probably more accurate" than he intended, as they suggest that the Trump administration is picking and choosing what evidence to accept rather than letting the facts of Khashoggi's murder--and the Saudi kingdom's role--speak for themselves.
\u201c"... help us determine what WE WANT to believe." Interesting phrasing. And probably more accurate than Kushner intended.\u201d— Ned Price (@Ned Price) 1540219544
"We have to be able to work with our allies and Saudi Arabia has I think been a very strong ally in terms of pushing back on Iran's aggression," Kushner added.
Asked what advice he has given to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman throughout the international crisis sparked by the kingdom's allegedly gruesome murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi, Kushner said he told the crown prince to be "transparent and to take this very seriously."
While Kushner's attempts to downplay Saudi Arabia role in Khashoggi's murder were widely condemned, journalists also slammed Van Jones for failing to press Kushner on his close relationship with the crown prince and refusing to heavily scrutinize the Trump administration's behavior following the journalist's killing.
\u201cIn recent weeks, Lesley Stahl, the AP White House team & now Van Jones have all secured rare sit-down interviews with Trump and Kushner; rare opportunities for a non-Fox interviewer to hold this dishonest, racist, unhinged White House to account. \n\nAnd they've all blown it. Sigh.\u201d— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1540223630
While Trump has publicly insisted that Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman are just "two young guys" who don't really know each other all that well, the president has reportedly bristled in private that Kushner's "close relationship with the crown prince has become a liability and left the White House with no good options."
According to the New York Times, Kushner has been pressuring Trump behind the scenes to support the crown prince, even as he is being accused of playing a central role in Khashoggi's murder.
"Kushner has argued that the crown prince can survive the outrage just as he has weathered past criticism," the Times reported last week.
Just as Kushner appeared at the network's "political forum," CNN aired exclusive camera footage that appears to show a Khashoggi "body double" leaving Saudi Arabia's Turkish consulate wearing the journalist's clothes to give the appearance that he left the building alive.
The footage, which reportedly came from Turkish officials, was played on television just days after the Saudis claimed Khashoggi died in a "fistfight," not an orchestrated assassination--an explanation that was immediately denounced as ludicrous and completely inconsistent with the facts.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.