Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, has reportedly tried to take over shutdown talks and assured the president he can solve the impasse and strike a deal with Democrats, The Washington Post reports. Kushner is said to have thrust himself front and center in negotiations at a recent Oval Office meeting where sources told the Post he spoke up and listed possible areas of compromise, only to get a sarcastic response from Trump. “Apparently, Jared has become an expert on immigration in the last 48 hours,” three people familiar with the exchange recalled the president saying. Kushner also reportedly told other Trump advisers he has strong ties to several Democrats and that he can help sell a deal to end the shutdown. He is said to have kept other White House advisers out of talks to avoid leaks, though several Senate Democrats interviewed by the Post reportedly said he has played no role in negotiations. While some Trump allies have expressed appreciation for and confidence in Kushner’s initiative, others were skeptical. One unnamed senior White House official described Kushner’s strategizing as “delusional” in comments to the Post.
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