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

EXCERPT:

PRIMACK: "The DNI report came out a couple weeks after you left the White House. It says that MBS personally was responsible. Do you agree with the DNI? Do you believe that report?"
KUSHNER: "Are we really still doing this, Dan?"
PRIMACK: "Yeah, absolutely."
KUSHNER: "So, let’s go to this. The way that we looked at our policy at the time was, let’s focus on what’s in the interest of our government — "
PRIMACK: "No, I’m not I’m not arguing that. But at the time, you said you wanted to wait and see what — kind of what the U.S. government determined. The U.S. government’s made a determination, you’re obviously still in business with him. Do you — do you believe the U.S. government assessment? You might not, but do you believe it?"
KUSHNER: "So, let me say this. I have not seen the DNI report that the Biden administration put out there, right. And number two is, look, I know the person who I dealt with. I think he’s a visionary leader. I think what he’s done in that region is transformational. I think that when we started working with Saudi Arabia in 2017, I remember getting a list of all the transformative things that they wanted to do. I remember taking it then to secretary of defense, secretary of state, national security adviser, saying, 'Do you think there’s a chance of Saudi Arabia will start doing these things, allowing women to drive, getting rid of the guardianship rules, reducing the power of the religious police, trying to modernize their economy, giving that next generation hope?' They said it will never happen. I’d go to the meetings in the Situation Room, I was the only one who was going because everyone thought that it was going to be a big failure as policy. I think what’s happened there is absolutely critical. The person who deserves credit for that is Mohammed bin Salman, who at that time was the deputy crown prince, and I think what he’s done has been absolutely historic for the country.”