Washington: Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is on the short-list of potential candidates for the president's next chief of staff, US media said on Thursday.
Kushner, an influential White House adviser and husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka, met with the Republican leader to discuss the job, according to the Huffington Post, which first reported the story.
“I am not aware that he is under consideration but, as I think all of us here would recognise, he would be great in any role that the president chooses to put him in,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the news, which was also reported by CBS.
Trump was searching in vain for a new chief of staff after announcing that John Kelly, a retired general he had reportedly fallen out with, was to leave by December end.
Nick Ayres, the 36-year-old chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, was touted as favourite to get the job, but announced he was taking himself out of the running.
Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican who heads the hard-right Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives, showed more interest — but also ultimately withdrew his candidacy.
Kushner was a key player in negotiations with Canada and Mexico to preserve a trade pact between the North American countries.
