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Was Jared Kushner involved in Jamal Khashoggi's killing? US report may reveal link and blame Saudi crown prince

The intelligence report will be released on February 25 and it could shed light on the role Trump and Kushner may have played in the cover-up of the journalist's assasination

The Joe Biden administration has announced that it will release a report to the public on the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The report, largely based on CIA's investigations, confirms that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) approved the assassination in 2018. It represents a huge break from Trump's policy, where he defended MBS.

Scheduled for release on February 25, the report could also shed light on the role of Trump and Kushner in the cover-up. Kushner played a key role in the Trump administration's Middle East policy, overseeing the historic Abraham Accords. Kushner was also reported to have had multiple informal conversations with MBS since the early days of the Trump administration. That led many to believe that Kushner played an important role in Trump shrugging off the assassination. Asked about the killing in an interview with Bob Woodword, Trump said, "I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop." Did Kushner push Trump to say that? 

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Kushner's friendship with MBS well known

An investigative article by The New York Times found that the two were on a first-name basis, reportedly texting each other even after the brutal assassination of Khashoggi. In fact, he was reportedly the crown prince's strongest ally and defended him many times in Trump's White House. In fact, Kushner was identified early on as a key ally to the Saudis during Trump's presidency. According to a slide obtained by Lebanese newspaper Al Akbhar, a Saudi delegation wrote, "The inner circle is predominantly deal makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner." 

In 2017, Kushner even arranged for MBS to receive treatment usually reserved for heads of state during the latter's visit to Washington DC. After the killing of Khashoggi, it was reported that Kushner had counseled the crown prince on dealing with the fallout. According to The New York Times, a Saudi sorce said, "Kushner has offered the crown prince advice about how to weather the storm, urging him to resolve his conflicts around the region and avoid further embarrassments."

The Trump White House refused to release any information at the time on the relationship between the two. They only acknowledged that the two men were involved in a phone call on October 9. 

Did Kushner help cover up assassination?

Till date, all we have is speculative evidence that Kushner played a role in the cover-up. The Biden administration report should shed some more light on the matter. It doesn't take much effort to connect the dots though, indicating that Kushner might have played a role. Shortly after Khashoggi's murder became public knowledge, Kushner visited Riyadh for closed-door meetings with the crown prince. There is no official record of what was discussed since an embassy notetaker was not allowed to be present and the US Embassy did not receive a brief.

Kushner also allegedly called Khashoggi a "terrorist masquerading as a journalist," according to a book. So did Kushner play a role? Twitter is teeming with theories. One user said, "Trump & Kushner laundered MBS's name with the global community after MBS had Khashoggi—an American resident—assassinated & dismembered. Trump & Kushner are not ppl who do something for nothing. We need to know the whole story: What did/will Trump & Kushner get for their fealty?"

Many people have taken to Twitter, hoping that Kushner's role comes to light in the report. One user asked "Will Jared Kushner's name come up?" Some beleive he was definetly involved. One user said, "Don't forget Kushner. He was BFF with MBS. Kushner was totally involved with the cover up!" Another user said, "Trump and kushner covered this murder up."

If Kushner did indeed play a role, the CIA report should help shed more light on it. We will know when the report is released.