https://www.thedailybeast.com/jared-kushner-is-running-shadow-coronavirus-task-force-and-causing-confusion-officials-say
President Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner
created his own coronavirus team to work alongside the official
coronavirus task force, The Washington Post reports. The team
reportedly consists of Kushner’s government allies and individuals from
private industry who are focused on setting up drive-through testing
sites and delivery of health care supplies. However, Kushner’s team has
reportedly sowed confusion within the Trump administration—with some
calling it a “shadow task force” that makes requests outside of the
regular coronavirus response efforts. “We don’t know who these people
are,” one official told the Post. “Who is this? We’re all getting these emails.”
Kushner was reportedly pulled into the coronavirus effort last week,
at the request of Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff. In an
interview, Kushner said his goal was to bring an “an entrepreneurial
approach” to the pandemic response. “We’re getting things done in record
speeds and are doing everything possible to avoid damage and mitigate
the negative impacts,” he said. “In America, some of our best resources
are in our private sector.” A spokeswoman for Pence said the vice
president and Kushner were in constant contact, speaking to each other
“ten times a day.” Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response
coordinator, said Kushner has been “essential” to the effort and in
bringing private sector “insights.”
