Top Trump Aide Is Mysteriously Sidelined as White House Splits
The Daily Beast • • world
Key Points:
- Josh Gruenbaum, a former Wall Street executive and top aide involved in President Trump's foreign policy efforts, has been sidelined and removed from most of his assignments, now focusing solely on Gaza issues at the Board of Peace.
- Gruenbaum had worked closely with Jared Kushner and David Witkoff during unsuccessful peace talks with Russia and Iran, even meeting Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in January.
- His demotion follows reports of abrasive behavior and self-promotion that alienated other senior Trump advisers, leading to his physical relocation away from the West Wing to the Institute of Peace building.
- The Board of Peace, chaired by Trump and aimed at Gaza reconstruction, has struggled to gain support from U.S. allies and includes Kushner and Witkoff on its executive board.
- White House officials maintain that Gruenbaum will continue to support the president's Middle East agenda through his role at the Board of Peace despite the recent changes.
