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| Trump Says Kelly Will Decide on Kushner’s Security Clearance | Trump Says Kelly Will Decide on Kushner’s Security Clearance |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Friday that he would leave it up to John F. Kelly, his chief of staff, to decide whether Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, will continue to be able to view top-secret information. | WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Friday that he would leave it up to John F. Kelly, his chief of staff, to decide whether Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, will continue to be able to view top-secret information. |
| Mr. Kushner has been operating on a temporary security clearance despite his access to some of the nation’s most closely guarded secrets and his role in high-level activities like Middle East peace negotiations. | Mr. Kushner has been operating on a temporary security clearance despite his access to some of the nation’s most closely guarded secrets and his role in high-level activities like Middle East peace negotiations. |
| Like some others in the White House, Mr. Kushner has failed to secure a permanent security clearance because of issues raised by the F.B.I. during his background check, according to officials and others briefed on the matter. He is one of several dozen White House officials operating with only interim clearances, an unusual situation more than a year into Mr. Trump’s presidency. | Like some others in the White House, Mr. Kushner has failed to secure a permanent security clearance because of issues raised by the F.B.I. during his background check, according to officials and others briefed on the matter. He is one of several dozen White House officials operating with only interim clearances, an unusual situation more than a year into Mr. Trump’s presidency. |
| In a memo to the White House staff last week, Mr. Kelly said that he would cut off high-level access to many of the White House aides who had been unable to get a permanent clearance. That has led to an internal struggle between Mr. Kelly and Mr. Kushner, who has resisted losing access to highly classified information. | In a memo to the White House staff last week, Mr. Kelly said that he would cut off high-level access to many of the White House aides who had been unable to get a permanent clearance. That has led to an internal struggle between Mr. Kelly and Mr. Kushner, who has resisted losing access to highly classified information. |
| Asked whether he would provide a waiver to Mr. Kelly’s policy so that Mr. Kushner could continue to have high-level access, Mr. Trump said on Friday that he would leave that up to his chief of staff. | Asked whether he would provide a waiver to Mr. Kelly’s policy so that Mr. Kushner could continue to have high-level access, Mr. Trump said on Friday that he would leave that up to his chief of staff. |
| “I will let General Kelly make that decision, and he’s going to do what’s right for the country,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference with Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister of Australia. “I have no doubt he will make the right decision.” | “I will let General Kelly make that decision, and he’s going to do what’s right for the country,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference with Malcolm Turnbull, the prime minister of Australia. “I have no doubt he will make the right decision.” |
| Pointing to Mr. Kelly, a retired Marine, Mr. Trump said: “General Kelly respects Jared a lot. I will let the general, who’s right here, make that call.” | |
| The president praised Mr. Kushner, calling him “truly outstanding” and “an extraordinary deal maker.” He noted that Mr. Kushner had been working to broker peace in the Middle East. | The president praised Mr. Kushner, calling him “truly outstanding” and “an extraordinary deal maker.” He noted that Mr. Kushner had been working to broker peace in the Middle East. |
| “The hardest deal to make of any kind is between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” he said. “We’re actually making great headway.” | “The hardest deal to make of any kind is between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” he said. “We’re actually making great headway.” |
| In fact, there have been no signs of progress between the parties in the Middle East, and Palestinians have pulled away from discussions in the wake of the decision by Mr. Trump to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. | In fact, there have been no signs of progress between the parties in the Middle East, and Palestinians have pulled away from discussions in the wake of the decision by Mr. Trump to move the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. |
| On the clearance issue, Mr. Trump said that he had inherited a “broken system,” suggesting that it takes too long for White House employees to have their backgrounds screened by investigators. | |
| He complained that it had taken “months and months and months” for some of his staff members to be given their security clearances, despite the fact that some of them do not have complicated financial backgrounds — a factor that sometimes delays background investigations. | He complained that it had taken “months and months and months” for some of his staff members to be given their security clearances, despite the fact that some of them do not have complicated financial backgrounds — a factor that sometimes delays background investigations. |
| While the federal security clearance system has long been criticized as broken and has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of pending applications, senior White House officials almost always have their applications expedited so they can be cleared within weeks and perform their duties. | While the federal security clearance system has long been criticized as broken and has a backlog of hundreds of thousands of pending applications, senior White House officials almost always have their applications expedited so they can be cleared within weeks and perform their duties. |
| It is highly unusual for multiple senior officials to spend months serving with only interim clearances, a problem that Mr. Kelly privately began talking about fixing in September. | It is highly unusual for multiple senior officials to spend months serving with only interim clearances, a problem that Mr. Kelly privately began talking about fixing in September. |
| The president also noted that Mr. Kushner — like his wife, Ivanka, who is also a senior adviser in the White House — has chosen not to draw a salary while working in the West Wing. Mr. Kushner already has a fortune from his family’s real estate business. | The president also noted that Mr. Kushner — like his wife, Ivanka, who is also a senior adviser in the White House — has chosen not to draw a salary while working in the West Wing. Mr. Kushner already has a fortune from his family’s real estate business. |