NYT report details extent of Kushner, bin Salman friendship

With the world watching, after initially saying he had left the consulate alive, weeks later the Saudi administration admitted he was killed there.

It was Kushner who had become the crown prince's "most important defender" in the White House after the killing, several people familiar with the matter told The Times.

The newspaper said that the relationship between Kushner and bin Salman, fostered over the past two years, has been a focal point into Trump's embrace of Saudi Arabia, and then becoming one of the U.S.'s most important allies.

After the 2016 presidential election, a group of Saudi delegates met with Kushner, and then reported back to Riyadh that Kushner had been satisfied in Saudi Arabia's role in fighting terrorism, along with a proposal to share intelligence to help fight against extremism, according to a presentation prepared by the delegation.

The delegation had invited Trump to come to Riyadh, and Kushner pushed for it to happen in the weeks after the president was inaugurated.
"By the time of the inauguration Mr. Kushner was already arguing that under the influence of Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia could play a pivotal role in advancing a Middle East peace deal," The Times said, citing three people familiar with the matter.