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

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.

One person told The Intercept it's likely the crown prince would be able to get the names of his critics without Kushner's help, and he could have told people he received the information from Kushner so it would look like the Trump administration backed his actions. A spokesperson for Kushner's lawyer told The Intercept Kushner did not discuss any names with the crown prince.

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