Secret Service blocks CBS reporter from asking Jared Kushner about Saudi journalist
The Secret Service says it is reviewing an incident in which an agent blocked CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett from trying to question White House adviser and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In a video of the incident Barnett posted to Twitter, the Secret Service agent tells him "I don't give a damn who you are, there's a time and a place." Barnett had identified himself as a journalist with CBS News and displayed his White House credentials. The Secret Service said in a statement it is aware of the video, but that "no further comment will be made" until the investigation is finished. The video, which was taken on a flight from Washington D.C. to New York, has now been retweeted thousands of times.
Barnett told "CBS This Morning" that Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump were the last to board the flight along with Secret Service. Barnett said he tried to ask Kushner about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman after they landed in New York.
"I waited until everyone in front of me had deplaned and as Jared Kushner approached and the Secret Service were lining the aisle, I took out my camera. I had my CBS press pass on, I had my White House press pass as well which, as you all know, this is vetted by the Secret Service. So if the Secret Service sees this, they know you're legit….the camera was rolling and the Secret Service agent kind of ran interference, put his hand over my phone, over the camera," Barnett said.
The reason Kushner is of particular interest on the disappearance of Khashoggi is that he was a key part of forging a relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and massive arms sale to the kingdom. Mr. Trump does not want to halt the deal because he argues it would harm U.S. manufacturers.
"He was behind this $110 billion arms deal that the president is reluctant to terminate amid questions of what happened to Jamal Khashoggi. So the question I was preparing to ask was, 'What do you make of the Saudi denials and the White House says that Jared Kushner, National Security Adviser John Bolton spoke with the Crown Prince last week," Barnett said.
"What's key about this is, when is the time and place to ask Jared Kushner a question? He does not make himself available and there are so many more questions to be asked," Barnett said. "But these questions persist. There's an open invitation to speak with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump about this incident and what they think the U.S. should do next."
As of Wednesday morning, the Secret Service had not yet reached out to Barnett about the incident.