Overview
- Brian Kilmeade publicly said on Fox News that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff “have not been effective” and should be pulled from U.S. negotiations with Iran.
- Kilmeade criticized their use as private-sector intermediaries in multiple conflict portfolios, saying they failed to make progress on Ukraine and Gaza and cannot handle three diplomatic tracks at once.
- Both men have served as informal envoys for the president, with Witkoff identified as a Middle East special envoy and Kushner acting as a presidential intermediary in talks that included engagements with Iranian counterparts earlier this year.
- Kilmeade recommended Sen. Marco Rubio as a replacement, saying a prominent elected official is better suited to lead sensitive negotiations tied to attacks that disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Coverage of the criticism appears across ideologically different outlets and no administration announcement has confirmed any personnel changes to the Iran negotiating team.