Thom Tillis blasts Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff leading global peace talks: 'Doesn’t make any sense'

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, on Wednesday, February 25, spoke out against Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff leading major international peace talks without having gone through the official Senate confirmation process. 

Tillis shared these concerns with ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, arguing that these sensitive roles should be held by people who are accountable to the US government.

Tillis questions lack of accountability for Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff

During a conversation with ABC News’s chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Karl, Tillis expressed deep skepticism regarding the duo’s involvement in leading American foreign policy.

While acknowledging their backgrounds in the private sector, Senator Tillis pointed to a fundamental lack of accountability. 

Tillis stated that while “Kushner and Witkoff are very accomplished business people. I’m sure they’re good negotiators, but they’re not subject to Senate confirmation and they’re not subject to oversight. So, hopefully they have got some adults in the room who are, they can negotiate the broad strokes.” 

He added, "But at the end of the day, an agreement that doesn't be that bill on Capitol Hill, that gets ratified by the US Congress, isn't worth the paper it's written on in my opinion."

By bypassing the traditional confirmation process, Tillis argues that these representatives operate without the review typically required for those managing sensitive national security interests.

Thom Tillis doubts logic of using duo for multiple diverse conflicts

The Senator also questioned why the same two people are being put in charge of several very different and complicated global problems at the same time. 

He feels it is illogical to use the same team for such diverse regions. 

During the discussion, he stated, “I don't care who negotiates it. It is suspect that you can negotiate a Ukraine peace, an Iranian situation, a Gaza situation, and whatever, and be the same two people. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Critics fear financial conflicts of interest in foreign policy

There is also growing worry about how these men’s private business deals might interfere with their work for the government. 

After leaving his job as an advisor in the first Trump administration, Jared Kushner started an investment firm called Affinity Partners. 

This firm has received billions of dollars from foreign countries that have interests in the same areas where Kushner is now negotiating. 

Because of these financial ties, many critics feel that having people without government oversight involved in foreign policy creates a major conflict of interest.