President Barack Obama's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett offered some advice Tuesday for Jared Kushner as he prepares to become a White House senior adviser for incoming President-elect Donald Trump: "Listen to the American people."
"Make sure you stay in touch with them," Jarrett said she would tell Kushner, during an interview on CNN's "New Day."
"Make sure you have your pulse on them."
Trump appointed Kushner, who is married to the president-elect's daughter Ivanka, to the White House role Monday. Kushner, a 36-year-old real estate executive, is now in a position where he will advise the president on domestic and foreign policy and other vital national issues, after spending the past months advising Trump on his campaign and transition team.
Jarrett told CNN's Alisyn Camerota it is important for advisers to remember who they are in Washington to serve.
"Washington can swallow you up whole, and I think it's incumbent upon all of us to remember every single day who we're here to serve," Jarrett said. "We're here to serve you, the American people."
Kushner plans to step away from his companies' positions, including as CEO of Kushner Companies and publisher of The Observer in New York City.
His attorney, Jamie Gorelick, said Tuesday that Kushner plans to use a family arrangement while divesting himself from his businesses that will be consistent with all federal rules, and insisted, as his new post is a White House position, federal anti-nepotism rules do not apply.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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