Johnson: Kushner ‘not directly involved’ in Trump administration after reported meeting with Jeffries
Johnson: Kushner ‘not directly involved’ in Trump administration after reported meeting with Jeffries
Max Rego Mon, August 24, 2026 at 2:19 AM UTC
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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Sunday downplayed the reported meeting between Jared Kushner and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).
“I don’t know what that’s about. I know Jared has interest in lots of other things going on,” Johnson told host Peter Doocy on Fox News’s “The Sunday Briefing.”
“He’s not really directly involved in the admin, at least in the day-to-day in the White House," the Louisiana Republican added of Kushner, who is also President Trump's son-in-law.
The New York Times reported Sunday that Kushner and Jeffries recently met in New York City to talk about areas of common ground.
Kushner has served as his father-in-law’s foreign envoy, focusing on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as failed peace talks with Iranian officials.
The two men reportedly discussed housing, immigration and the cost of living as potential areas of collaboration between the Trump administration and a Democratic-led House.
As of Friday, Decision Desk HQ gives Democrats a 66 percent chance to take back control of the lower chamber. Jeffries has led the House Democratic Caucus since January 2023, succeeding retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
During their conversation, Kushner told Jeffries he should meet with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, two people with knowledge of the meeting told the Times.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
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In response to comments about the meeting, Jeffries said, “Throughout this Congress, Republicans have adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach to governing that has failed the American people. To stop the madness, we have repeatedly made clear that an extremist approach will not work and will be met with forceful opposition."
He added, "The American people want bold change and that’s what House Democrats will deliver. In every conversation that we have with the Trump administration, we will continue to make it explicitly clear that the affordability crisis is not a hoax and nothing short of transformational policy change is acceptable. We are fighting for an affordable America. The question is whether Republicans will join us.”
Jeffries has frequently criticized Trump and his administration over the last 19-plus months, particularly over the cost of living.
Over the last four days alone, Jeffries has called the Medicaid cuts resulting from the GOP-backed One Big Beautiful Bill “devastating,” the Iran conflict “Operation Epic Failure” and Republicans “phonies” for adding to the national debt — which surpassed $40 trillion this week.
While Trump mocked Jeffries last year with an AI-generated video of the latter wearing a sombrero, he told Punchbowl News earlier this month the New York Democrat is a “nice guy” with whom he could do business.
Asked about the reported Kushner-Jeffries meeting during an appearance on NewsNation's "The Hill Sunday," Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) said she talks to her Democratic colleagues "all the time."
"People complain that we don't talk enough. I think this is showing that the administration is trying to strike deals," she told host Chris Stirewalt.
"They are trying to come up with compromises. Congratulate them for that. It seems like they can't win for losing. If they talk to Democrats, they get criticized. If they don't talk to Democrats, they get criticized."
at 10:19 p.m. EDT.
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