In New York City, senior White House adviser and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner on Tuesday told a Time magazine forum he does not dispute the CIA’s conclusion that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But Kushner said it was more important to focus on American foreign policy interests. At a gala dinner later in the day honoring Time’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people, comedian Hasan Minhaj called for the release of Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain Al-Hathloul, who’s been tortured since her arrest for opposing the kingdom’s male “guardianship” system and a former ban on women drivers. Minhaj also called out Jared Kushner directly over his close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Hasan Minhaj: “I know there’s a lot of very powerful people here, and it would be crazy if—I don’t know—if there was just like a—I don’t know—like if there like a high-ranking official in the White House that could WhatsApp MBS and say, 'Hey, maybe you could help that person get out of prison, because they don't deserve it.’ But that would be crazy. That would be—I mean, that person would have to be in the room. But it’s just a good comedy premise.”
Jared Kushner was seated in the room as Hasan Minhaj made those remarks.