According to Donald Trump’s biographer, Michael Wolff, there is likely one insider the president has been listening to when it comes to strategizing the ongoing war against Iran. During his appearance on Inside Trump’s Head podcast, Wolff claimed that this aide is a family member, someone the president must hold in high regard.
The Fire and Fury author believes the person is most likely Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. According to Raw Story, Wolff believes that Kushner has a strong grip over Donald Trump’s decisions, especially when it comes to the US-Iran conflict.
“There is not a briefing paragraph that could describe his strategy or his goals. He has consulted with nobody. Nobody knows what is going on. Literally zero. I think Jared Kushner knows what’s going on. I think he’s probably the only person Trump listens to. Because he has credibility derived from having gotten $2 billion out of the Persian Gulf… He is the one truly inside Trump’s head.”
Steve Witkoff & Jared Kushner are set to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on 17 February in Geneva for negotiations related to Iran’s nuclear program.
The talks come as the U.S. continues to signal possible military strikes against Iran if negotiations fail to… pic.twitter.com/JWD2VfJqGQ
— Parley Policy Initiative (@ParleyPolicy) February 16, 2026
Wolff, who claims to be an expert on Donald Trump, believes that President pays most attention to Kushner. He goes as far as to say that Kushner might as well be the mastermind behind the operation.
“I think he is the person whom Trump most turns to on this, probably the only person Trump listens to. If you wanted to say who is the brains of this operation, within the context of using brains in a very relative sense, it would be Jared Kushner.”
How is anyone supposed to take U.S. Middle East policy seriously when Qatar is effectively financing the very people tasked with shaping it?
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner aren’t neutral intermediaries. They are financially entangled with Qatar — a state whose core strategy is… https://t.co/Lqb3qd8Xqt
— Irene Rusman (@irusman) February 24, 2026
CNN analyst Steven Collison criticized President’s decision to designate Witkoff and Kushner in important diplomatic positions. He believes that, despite having no government role, Kushner is under tremendous pressure as the heat in the Middle East rises.
He cast doubt on how well he will be able to play the role of a peace negotiator. According to Collison, Donald Trump’s decision in choosing his son-in-law as a special peace envoy to the Middle East, despite his lack of credentials to serve the role, will end in disaster.
“Kushner has no official government role. But he’s the husband of Trump’s daughter Ivanka and therefore family. (Neither he nor Witkoff) appears to have any political ambition outside of polishing Trump’s legacy. Each man personifies Trump’s unique brand of foreign policy.”
Collison added, “They’re business tycoons who disdain formal diplomatic and governmental structures and seem to see every global conflict as a potential real estate deal. Each also has huge commercial interests in the Middle East and elsewhere, a concern for critics who believe Trump makes no distinction between his own interests and the nation’s.”
