As President Donald Trump prepares for the first major foreign trip to the Middle East of his second term, some administration officials have privately turned to a familiar face for help navigating the region: Jared Kushner.
The president’s son-in-law, who served as a chief Middle East negotiator in Trump’s first term and built deep relationships with leaders in the region, has been informally advising administration officials on negotiations with Arab leaders, multiple Trump administration officials and people close to Kushner tell CNN. Though Kushner is unlikely to join Trump on the trip, he has been heavily involved in discussions with Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, about signing agreements that would normalize diplomatic relations with Israel, the sources said.
The president’s top priority next week is to procure “economic agreements” with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his three stops on the trip, that would enhance their investments in America, the sources said. But Kushner and other Trump advisers have also been privately plotting the more ambitious goal of expanding the Abraham Accords, the treaties negotiated during Trump’s first term between several Arab Nations and Israel, the sources said.
“That is a topic of discussion,” one senior White House official told CNN.
Kushner was central to getting the UAE, which Trump is also visiting next week, to sign the normalization agreement in 2020. He has been closely advising the broader Trump team on how to approach sensitive talks with Saudi leaders on the trip, the sources said. Kushner’s role in helping guide officials for the trip has not been previously reported.
People involved in the discussions said the Trump administration is under no illusion that they will leave the Middle East having struck a deal with Riyadh. But they view the face-to-face meetings between Trump and Saudi leaders as a prime opportunity to make progress.
“We fully expect other countries to sign (agreements) first before Saudi,” one senior Trump administration official involved in the talks said, adding that Trump officials are engaged in conversations with a “wide range of countries.”
The White House views Kushner as critical to helping clinch such agreements.
“When it comes to the Middle East, Jared is an expert,” a second senior administration official told CNN. “He knows all the players and is one of the few people who has the ear of the Arab leaders, as well as the Israelis.”
Trump critics and some former diplomats have noted that Kushner has business interests in the region, which complicates his involvement. Shortly after leaving Washington, he founded Affinity Partners, an investment firm which received significant backing from sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf.
“Mr. Kushner led some of the first Administration’s biggest successes, including the historic Abraham Accords to help bring peace to the Middle East. There is no question this Administration values his expertise and welcomes his advice on all areas where he is willing to be helpful,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said in a statement to CNN.
New challenges in the Middle East
The dynamics in the Middle East have changed significantly since Trump’s first term. Hamas’s October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza has caused a renewed rift between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto leader, has stated unequivocally that Riyadh won’t normalize relations with Israel until there is a clear path for Palestinian statehood and a permanent end to the war in Gaza — neither of which appears imminent.
The Gaza ceasefire agreement that Trump took credit for at the start of his term is in tatters. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is launching a new, more intensive phase of the war in Gaza, though an Israeli official has said it would begin after Trump’s visit.
How Trump plans to bridge the divide with Prince bin Salman remains unclear. But, people close to Kushner say he believes there are proposals the administration can offer to the crown prince that would soften his stance on joining the Accords only if Palestinians have a clear pathway to statehood. The people declined to offer specifics about what the proposals would entail. Kushner developed a close personal relationship with Prince bin Salman during the first Trump administration — the two often communicated via WhatsApp — and they still speak frequently, sources familiar with their relationship said.
“There’s a way, and Jared’s thought about this a lot. He thinks outside the box. But there’s a way to potentially solve that part for the Saudis and have them start taking steps toward normalization,” one of the senior administration officials involved in the talks said.
The president’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff — who has taken on a far more expansive portfolio that also includes serving as the point person on negotiations with Russia and Iran — told an audience at the Israeli embassy in Washington this week that he expected an expansion of the Abraham Accords soon.
“We think will have some or a lot of announcements very, very shortly,” said Witkoff, who is expected to accompany Trump on his visit to the Middle East.
Who else is going on the trip?
Trump will travel with a large delegation to the Middle East, including several cabinet secretaries and high-ranking officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are expected to fly to the region, separately from Trump, to participate in meetings. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is also expected to join the delegation. The majority of senior staff at the White House, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Trump’s slate of deputy chiefs will also be accompanying the president, senior White House officials tell CNN.
“There were a lot of people who wanted to be a part of this trip,” one administration official said of the large delegation.
Kushner, who is unlikely to go, does not have, nor want, a formal role in Trump’s second term, sources said. But he has continued to be a crucial player behind the scenes on Middle East talks, the sources said.
“He likes having the freedom to do what he does. He wants to operate behind the scenes until he has something successful he can more publicly point to,” one of the senior administration officials said.
Some of Kushner’s involvement is attributable to his close personal relationship with Witkoff, sources said.
Trump administration officials and people close to Kushner tell CNN that the two have been in regular contact since the president’s transition, with Kushner often offering Witkoff advice on his dealings with Arab leaders. Witkoff is expected to travel with the president to the region next week, three Trump administration officials said.
“He’s been able to help Steve (Witkoff) get connected with folks there, he gives Steve input,” one of the officials said.
“He’s been Witkoff’s biggest champion, helping him understand the issues and navigate the personalities,” another official told CNN. “He’s comfortable being in the background.”
Kushner was at the White House on Tuesday for Witkoff’s swearing-in ceremony. In addition to advising Witkoff, Kushner has met on occasion with Rubio, who is also currently serving as the president’s interim National Security Adviser.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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