Donald Trump just created a senior job for his own son-in-law
Donald Trump is planning to overhaul US federal bureaucracy by creating a new division headed up by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The move comes after it was revealed that Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president and wife of Kushner, would be given a West Wing office and security clearance, despite not holding an official government role.
In a move that is likely renew accusations of nepotism, Kushner will be promoted from the role of senior adviser to lead The White House Office of American Innovation.
The announcement will be made following a difficult fortnight for Trump in which his approval ratings hit an all-time low and the Republication bill to repeal Obama care imploded.
Allegations of Russian interference in the election also continue dog him.
According to the Washington Post, the move will form a “Swat team” of former private-sector executives who will have sweeping powers to reform government procedures.
“We should have excellence in government,” Kushner said. “The government should be run like a great American company. Our hope is that we can achieve successes and efficiencies for our customers, who are the citizens.”
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“All Americans, regardless of their political views, can recognise that government stagnation has hindered our ability to properly function, often creating widespread congestion and leading to cost overruns and delays,” Trump said in a statement to The Washington Post.
“I promised the American people I would produce results, and apply my ‘ahead of schedule, under budget’ mentality to the government.”
Earlier in the month, Trump was accused of “diminishing the value” of a West Wing office by allowing his daughter to operate from there.
Bernadette Meehan, a former foreign service officer, tweeted: “I had a security clearance & West Wing office. @IvankaTrump diminishes the value of expertise & hard work it took me & others to get there.”
Federal anti-nepotism laws prevent relatives from being appointed to government positions, meaning Ivanka’s position is an unusual one.
She has sat in on several high-profile meetings with foreign leaders, including with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and German chancellor Angela Merkel.
