When John Kelly took over as Chief of Staff for the Trump Administration on July 31, he had one immediate goal: to impose order on the heretofore chaotic power structure of the Oval Office. That’s a particularly tall order when it comes to figuring out the boundaries between President Trump and his daughter and son-in-law.
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have served as close advisors to the president since his campaign. Although they each have specific assignments, it’s been said that they have a wide-range of influence; in April, CNN called Kushner “the Secretary of Everything.”
Kushner’s reported free-range in the Oval Office is not going to fly with Kelly. According to a new report by Politico, Kelly was infuriated when he learned that Kushner had been back-channeling Senate leaders without Kelly’s knowledge during the DACA debate this summer. A White House official denied this report, but one thing is for certain: as Kelly implements new policies and procedures, he’s navigating uncharted territory with the Trump children.
Kelly isn’t the only one concerned about how Jared and Ivanka fit in; President Trump has been “casually surveying people close to him about whether having his family members in the government is creating too much noise.”
This concern comes on the heels of Trump’s decision to allow Ivanka to take his seat during the G20 summit of world leaders in July, which was widely criticized across social media. According to Politico, Trump told Ivanka, in front of senior staffers, “Baby, you’re getting killed, this is a bad deal.”
For their part, Jared and Ivanka have fallen in line with Kelly’s new procedures and guidelines, and reportedly welcome the streamlining of the Oval Office. According to a Vanity Fair article, the pair is well aware of their public image and remiss to go down in flames: “Increasingly you hear chatter in Washington that Jared and Ivanka won’t last, not because they are at risk of being pushed out, but because they will save themselves from a damaged White House.”
