U.S. President Donald Trump is putting his son-in-law in charge of an effort to make the federal government run more like an efficient business.
Jared Kushner, a second-generation real estate investor who is married to Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, is to lead the new White House Office of American Innovation.
At Monday's daily White House briefing, the press secretary brushed off questions about whether the 36-year-old Kushner, a newcomer to government, is qualified to lead the transformation.
Other weighty matters already are assigned to Kushner, including the Middle East peace process and being his father-in-law’s lead advisor on countries such as China and Mexico.
The office is to be staffed with former business executives operating out of the West Wing, according to White House officials.
Two White House senior aides are set to be the office’s key personnel -- a former Microsoft and General Motors executive, Chris Liddell, and real estate developer Reed Cordish, whose family is close to the Trumps.
Also on the team are National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, who is a former Goldman Sachs executive, and Dina Habib Powell, recently named as deputy national security advisor. She is also a senior counselor to the president.
The Obama White House launched a similar, but more narrowly-focused, initiative in 2008.