Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been “pushing hard” to become President Trump’s envoy to the Middle East and has held “secret White House talks” with senior advisor Jared Kushner, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Blair has previously called on British PM Theresa May to build a “strong relationship with President Trump“, like his own relationship as PM with President George W. Bush, but this news suggests he is taking matters into his own hands.
A source has told the Mail on Sunday that Blair could become Kushner’s senior adviser, adding: “Blair has been pitching hard for this job and Trump’s people are taking him very seriously.”
The Express reports: Having worked as an envoy for the so-called ‘Middle East Quartet’ which includes the EU, US, Russia and the UN, Blair’s extensive knowledge of the region is believed to be considered valuable by Trump.
The former Labour leader first met with Kushner at a high-profile media event in Aspen, Colorado, in September where they discussed political issues just weeks before the election.
The pair met again just days after Trump’s historic win, when they dined at the £150-a-head Harry Cipriani restaurant in New York.
As a foreign citizen Blair is unlikely to be offered a formal Government role but he could advise the President on how to deal with the volatile region.
Blair has strong ties with Wendi Deng, the ex-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and best friend of Ivanka Trump, Kushner’s wife.
The news comes as Blair called for a “new coalition” in a New York Times article in a desperate bid to block Britain’s EU exit.
He wrote: “The politics of the progressive centre has not died, but it needs reinventing and reenergising. For liberal democracy to survive and thrive, we must build a new coalition that is popular, not populist.”