Donald
Trump has appointed Jared Kushner as a White House senior adviser, which means
he'll continue to have a big influence on domestic and foreign policy,
particularly Middle East issues and trade negotiations.
You probably already know that he's married
to the US President-elect's daughter Ivanka. But there's more to him than that.
Businessman turned political adviser
In some ways, the 35-year-old has a similar story to Mr Trump.
Like him, Mr Kushner is a real
estate executive who
has pushed his family's company into the high-stakes battlefield of Manhattan.
As well as being CEO of Kushner Companies, he's the publisher of the New York Observer
newspaper. He'll resign from both of these roles (and divest
"substantial assets", according to his lawyer) upon taking his
position in the White House.
But while they're both businessmen, Mr Kushner is very different
to Mr Trump in other ways. While the President-elect likes to make his voice
heard in the media, Mr Kushner is soft
spoken and press-shy.
He's also often viewed as more moderate
than Mr Trump, but people close to him say he fully bought into the campaign's
fiery populist message that resonated with white, working-class voters.
He never publicly distanced himself from Mr
Trump's more provocative stances, including the call for a Muslim-immigration
ban and his doubts about President Barack Obama's birthplace.
During the election, Mr Kushner was one of Mr Trump's most powerful
advisers, and he was deeply involved in the campaign's digital
efforts.
He was usually at Mr Trump's side during
the election's closing weeks, and since then he's been a leading figure during
the transition, working alongside White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and
senior adviser Stephen Bannon.
Key voice on foreign policy and the Middle East
Last week, Mr Kushner and Mr Bannon met
with British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson.
They have also worked closely on issues
related to Israel, including discussions over moving the US Embassy to
Jerusalem, and on the Trump administration's response to a United Nations
Security Council measure condemning Israeli settlements.
Meanwhile, Mr Kushner has played a key role in coordinating Mr
Trump's contacts with foreign leaders and has been talking with foreign government
officials himself, according to a person with knowledge of the
conversations.
His influence isn't limited to foreign
policy, either.
He's helped interview cabinet candidates,
and he joined other Trump advisers on Monday night for a meeting with House
Speaker Paul Ryan on tax reform. As well, he championed the pick of his friend
Gary Cohn, the president of Goldman Sachs, as director of the National Economic
Council.
In a statement, Mr Trump said Mr Kushner
will be an "invaluable member of my team as I set and execute an ambitious
agenda".
Is this nepotism?
Mr Kushner's eligibility for the White
House could be challenged, given a 1967 law meant to bar government officials
from hiring relatives.
But his lawyer Jamie Gorelick has argued
that the law does not apply to the West Wing. She cited a later congressional
measure to allow the president "unfettered" and "sweeping"
authority in hiring staff.
Norman Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama's government
ethics lawyer, said there is a "murky
legal landscape" regarding
the anti-nepotism law.
But he said Mr Kushner appeared to be
taking the proper steps regarding the ethics and disclosure requirements for
federal employees.
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