Jared Kushner reveals he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer while in the White House
In a new book, Jared Kushner reportedly reveals he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer while serving in the White House — and he didn't tell his father-in-law, former President Donald Trump.
Kushner's revelation was reported by The New York Times, which said he discloses it in a memoir that will be published next month. As the former Trump senior adviser describes it, he was pulled aside by White House physician Sean Conley on Air Force One one morning and told, "Your test results came back from Walter Reed. It looks like you have cancer. We need to schedule a surgery right away."
According to the book, Kushner's cancer was detected early in October 2019. He says he initially told Conley "don't tell anyone — especially my wife or my father-in-law," and a doctor determined he "needed surgery to remove an unusual growth" in his thyroid. Kushner writes that he scheduled the surgery for the Friday before Thanksgiving so he'd miss the least amount of work possible, and ultimately, a "substantial part" of his thyroid was removed.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kushner's cancer diagnosis had never been revealed prior to this book. He writes that "this was a personal problem and not for public consumption," noting he never informed Trump about it, nor anyone else at the White House other than his wife, Ivanka Trump, two aides, and White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.
Despite this, Kushner writes that Trump found out about it on his own and said he'd "be just fine" before the surgery, telling him, "I'm the president. I know everything."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Gaza ceasefire teeters as Netanyahu orders strikesSpeed Read Israel accused Hamas of firing on Israeli troops
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
