Saudi crown prince reportedly bragged he has Kushner 'in his pocket'

Jared Kushner.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told people close to him that President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, shared with him the names of Saudis who were disloyal to him, and also told the crown prince of Abu Dhabi he has Kushner "in his pocket," current and former White House and government officials told The Intercept.

Before his security clearance was downgraded, Kushner read with interest the President's Daily Brief, filled with classified intelligence, and after Mohammed bin Salman ousted his cousin from the crown prince position last June, the briefing contained information on the situation and names of royal family members opposed to his move, three people told The Intercept. In October, Kushner made an unannounced visit to Riyadh, during which he stayed up late "planning strategy" with the crown prince, The Washington Post reported at the time; a week later, Mohammed bin Salman launched what he called an anti-corruption crackdown, detaining hundreds of Saudi royals and businessmen.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.