‘Are We Really Still Doing This?’ Jared Kushner When Asked About the $2 Billion He Got from Saudi Government That Killed Khashoggi

PRIMACK Speaking to Elise ░░░░░░░░ mentioned MBS a little ░░░░░░░░ and Saudi Arabia About ░░░░░░░░ billion of your funds ░░░░░░░░ from Saudi pay for ░░░░░░░░ public investment fund there ░░░░░░░░ a knock there s ░░░░░░░░ lot of knocks on ░░░░░░░░ as you know in ░░░░░░░░ One of The Knocks ░░░░░░░░ you about that investment ░░░░░░░░ that you took KUSHNER ░░░░░░░░ s also a lot ░░░░░░░░ people who say good ░░░░░░░░ too PRIMACK There are ░░░░░░░░ lot of them a ░░░░░░░░ miles north One of ░░░░░░░░ Knocks about this was ░░░░░░░░ leave public service you ░░░░░░░░ all this time particularly ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia working with ░░░░░░░░ You leave a couple ░░░░░░░░ later six months later ░░░░░░░░ get 2 billion and ░░░░░░░░ there s a quid ░░░░░░░░ quo on this Leaving ░░░░░░░░ I know that you ░░░░░░░░ the law you said ░░░░░░░░ followed the law from ░░░░░░░░ optics perspective or even ░░░░░░░░ ethics perspective were you ░░░░░░░░ the time concerned about ░░░░░░░░ money from PIF And ░░░░░░░░ you could do it ░░░░░░░░ would you have done ░░░░░░░░ all differently KUSHNER Yeah ░░░░░░░░ PIF is one of ░░░░░░░░ most prestigious investors in ░░░░░░░░ world Every fund manager ░░░░░░░░ trying to work with ░░░░░░░░ If you look at ░░░░░░░░ now at the time ░░░░░░░░ going to the Middle ░░░░░░░░ as an investor was ░░░░░░░░ popular three years ago ░░░░░░░░ it s one of ░░░░░░░░ hottest places in a ░░░░░░░░ where everyone s trying ░░░░░░░░ raise money from What ░░░░░░░░ re doing in that ░░░░░░░░ is absolutely incredible and ░░░░░░░░ who goes there says ░░░░░░░░ their mind is blown ░░░░░░░░ was just with a ░░░░░░░░ here earlier who was ░░░░░░░░ there last month and ░░░░░░░░ basically said the last ░░░░░░░░ he was there was ░░░░░░░░ and he doesn t ░░░░░░░░ the country I think ░░░░░░░░ s happening in Saudi ░░░░░░░░ is one of the ░░░░░░░░ exciting transformations that we ░░░░░░░░ seeing now in the ░░░░░░░░ of a country And ░░░░░░░░ you ask me about ░░░░░░░░ work that we did ░░░░░░░░ the White House for ░░░░░░░░ critics what I say ░░░░░░░░ point to a single ░░░░░░░░ we made that wasn ░░░░░░░░ in the interest of ░░░░░░░░ number one Number two ░░░░░░░░ say our track record ░░░░░░░░ success in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ is probably second to ░░░░░░░░ right We made six ░░░░░░░░ deals in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ And then if you ░░░░░░░░ about the fundamental transformation ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia during the ░░░░░░░░ when President Trump was ░░░░░░░░ office I think that ░░░░░░░░ something that doesn t ░░░░░░░░ enough credit And if ░░░░░░░░ is the criticism that ░░░░░░░░ people to actually look ░░░░░░░░ the track record of ░░░░░░░░ Saudi Arabia was when ░░░░░░░░ started where they were ░░░░░░░░ we ended and the ░░░░░░░░ that they re on ░░░░░░░░ I think there s ░░░░░░░░ lot of credit that ░░░░░░░░ deserve for the work ░░░░░░░░ they ve done I ░░░░░░░░ our administration worked great ░░░░░░░░ them And I think ░░░░░░░░ of the greatest compliments ░░░░░░░░ that the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ said they re going ░░░░░░░░ make Saudi Arabia a ░░░░░░░░ state then after two ░░░░░░░░ they kind of realized ░░░░░░░░ our policy was right ░░░░░░░░ they ve now fully ░░░░░░░░ the policies that we ░░░░░░░░ done So when I ░░░░░░░░ look at my time ░░░░░░░░ government number one is ░░░░░░░░ the track record of ░░░░░░░░ speaks for itself Number ░░░░░░░░ followed every law and ░░░░░░░░ every ethics rule right ░░░░░░░░ s pointed out even ░░░░░░░░ critics PRIMACK Would it ░░░░░░░░ the difference I m ░░░░░░░░ even though you did ░░░░░░░░ the money after leaving ░░░░░░░░ said you followed the ░░░░░░░░ rules and I know ░░░░░░░░ say you re not ░░░░░░░░ to go back the ░░░░░░░░ House but would that ░░░░░░░░ almost make it very ░░░░░░░░ for you to do ░░░░░░░░ least in any sort ░░░░░░░░ foreign policy role KUSHNER ░░░░░░░░ I said I m ░░░░░░░░ investor now I served ░░░░░░░░ government My track record ░░░░░░░░ government was I think ░░░░░░░░ impeccable Now I m ░░░░░░░░ private investor and I ░░░░░░░░ enjoying being a private ░░░░░░░░ PRIMACK As you said ░░░░░░░░ and lots of private ░░░░░░░░ firms other folks are ░░░░░░░░ to raise money from ░░░░░░░░ Arabia and are raising ░░░░░░░░ from Saudi Arabia Some ░░░░░░░░ stopped after the Jamal ░░░░░░░░ murder Some either gave ░░░░░░░░ back or stopped At ░░░░░░░░ time you didn t ░░░░░░░░ you said you wanted ░░░░░░░░ wait for the DNI ░░░░░░░░ for the kind of ░░░░░░░░ report the State Department ░░░░░░░░ before talking about it ░░░░░░░░ kind of only give ░░░░░░░░ glancing mentions in your ░░░░░░░░ to it The DNI ░░░░░░░░ came out a couple ░░░░░░░░ after you left the ░░░░░░░░ House It says that ░░░░░░░░ personally was responsible Do ░░░░░░░░ agree with the DNI ░░░░░░░░ you believe that report ░░░░░░░░ Are we really still ░░░░░░░░ this Dan PRIMACK Yeah ░░░░░░░░ KUSHNER So let s ░░░░░░░░ to this The way ░░░░░░░░ we looked at our ░░░░░░░░ at the time was ░░░░░░░░ s focus on what ░░░░░░░░ in the interest of ░░░░░░░░ government PRIMACK No I ░░░░░░░░ not I m not ░░░░░░░░ that But at the ░░░░░░░░ you said you wanted ░░░░░░░░ wait and see what ░░░░░░░░ of what the U ░░░░░░░░ government determined The U ░░░░░░░░ government s made a ░░░░░░░░ you re obviously still ░░░░░░░░ business with him Do ░░░░░░░░ do you believe the ░░░░░░░░ S government assessment You ░░░░░░░░ not but do you ░░░░░░░░ it KUSHNER So let ░░░░░░░░ say this I have ░░░░░░░░ seen the DNI report ░░░░░░░░ the Biden Administration put ░░░░░░░░ there right And number ░░░░░░░░ is look I know ░░░░░░░░ person who I dealt ░░░░░░░░ I think he s ░░░░░░░░ visionary leader I think ░░░░░░░░ he s done in ░░░░░░░░ region is transformational I ░░░░░░░░ that when we started ░░░░░░░░ with Saudi Arabia in ░░░░░░░░ I remember getting a ░░░░░░░░ of all the transformative ░░░░░░░░ that they wanted to ░░░░░░░░ I remember taking it ░░░░░░░░ to secretary of defense ░░░░░░░░ of state national security ░░░░░░░░ saying Do you think ░░░░░░░░ s a chance of ░░░░░░░░ Arabia will start doing ░░░░░░░░ things allowing women to ░░░░░░░░ getting rid of the ░░░░░░░░ rules reducing the power ░░░░░░░░ the religious police trying ░░░░░░░░ modernize their economy giving ░░░░░░░░ next generation hope They ░░░░░░░░ it will never happen ░░░░░░░░ d go to the ░░░░░░░░ in the Situation Room ░░░░░░░░ was the only one ░░░░░░░░ was going because everyone ░░░░░░░░ that it was going ░░░░░░░░ be a big failure ░░░░░░░░ policy I think what ░░░░░░░░ happened there is absolutely ░░░░░░░░ The person who deserves ░░░░░░░░ for that is Mohammed ░░░░░░░░ Salman who at that ░░░░░░░░ was the deputy crown ░░░░░░░░ and I think what ░░░░░░░░ s done has been ░░░░░░░░ historic for the country ░░░░░░░░ think he s done ░░░░░░░░ lot of things that ░░░░░░░░ in America s interest ░░░░░░░░ I think he s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of things ░░░░░░░░ have made the world ░░░░░░░░ better place So I ░░░░░░░░ I stand by all ░░░░░░░░ policies that we put ░░░░░░░░ at the time Again ░░░░░░░░ understand why people are ░░░░░░░░ about that I think ░░░░░░░░ happened there was absolutely ░░░░░░░░ but again our job ░░░░░░░░ to represent America to ░░░░░░░░ to push forward things ░░░░░░░░ America And if you ░░░░░░░░ about the Abraham Accords ░░░░░░░░ all the change in ░░░░░░░░ region I mean you ░░░░░░░░ not talking about how ░░░░░░░░ everyone thought those potential ░░░░░░░░ were PRIMACK They are ░░░░░░░░ mutually exclusive necessarily KUSHNER ░░░░░░░░ what I would say ░░░░░░░░ that in order to ░░░░░░░░ peace deals in the ░░░░░░░░ East which we did ░░░░░░░░ again hadn t happened ░░░░░░░░ 30 years before we ░░░░░░░░ to do a lot ░░░░░░░░ unconventional things but we ░░░░░░░░ to be very pragmatic ░░░░░░░░ how do we advance ░░░░░░░░ things that were in ░░░░░░░░ s interest And that ░░░░░░░░ what we did And ░░░░░░░░ the media was constantly ░░░░░░░░ us or finding ways ░░░░░░░░ the way sometimes it ░░░░░░░░ justified the things that ░░░░░░░░ would get exasperated about ░░░░░░░░ from our perspective we ░░░░░░░░ able to kind of ░░░░░░░░ things forward and leave ░░░░░░░░ Middle East in a ░░░░░░░░ more stable place.”