Angus King: ‘I don’t see how’ Kushner can do foreign policy work without security clearance

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) on Thursday questioned how President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner can continue to work on high-profile foreign policy issues after his top-secret security clearance was downgraded.

King said on CNN’s “New Day” that without a top-secret clearance, Kushner does not have access to the highly classified intelligence that’s needed to work on issues including Middle East peace.

“He’s assigned to do things, like work in trying to bring a solution to the Middle East. You just can’t do that without that kind of information,” King said. “It’s negotiating with one hand tied behind your back.”

{mosads}

“He could still work in the White House if that’s the president’s choice,” he added. “But I don’t see how he can work on these high-profile international questions.”

Kushner’s top-secret security clearance was downgraded last month after it was revealed that he and dozens of other Trump administration officials had been working for months on interim clearances.

Kushner, who began working in the White House when Trump took office last year, has been charged with overseeing a broad portfolio of responsibilities ranging from trade issues with Mexico to brokering a peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The State Department has said that, despite the clearance downgrade, it fully expects Kushner to continue working on Middle East peace.