Kushner Cleans Up Remark Saying He’s ‘Not Sure’ He ‘Can Commit’ To Election Being Held As Scheduled

Senior Advisor Jared Kushner listens as Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with President Donald Trump before signing a presidential proclamation on Golan Heights at the White House on March 25, 2019.... Senior Advisor Jared Kushner listens as Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with President Donald Trump before signing a presidential proclamation on Golan Heights at the White House on March 25, 2019. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, clarified on Tuesday his alarming comment about the upcoming elections potentially being pushed back from November 3.

“I have not been involved in, nor am I aware of any discussions about trying to change the date of the Presidential election,” Kushner said in a statement.

During a Time interview with Kushner earlier in the day, reporters Tessa Berenson and Brian Bennett asked the White House official about the possibility of the COVID-19 outbreak delaying the elections.

“I’m not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that’s the plan,” Kushner replied. “Hopefully by the time we get to September, October, November, we’ve done enough work with testing and with all the different things we’re trying to do to prevent a future outbreak of the magnitude that would make us shut down again.”

Neither Kushner nor anyone else in the executive branch, Trump included, has the power to unilaterally shift the election date.

Near the end of April, the President denied having any plans to push back the election.

“I never even thought of changing the date of the election,” he told reporters. “Why would I?”

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