Trump's son-in-law takes surprise top role in coronavirus fight

He's got no medical experience, was never elected or saw military service, but as Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner has crucial access -- and now he's White House pointman for the coronavirus crisis.

A youthful looking 39, Kushner is no stranger in Washington. Although he'd never served at any level of government before, his marriage to Trump's daughter Ivanka put him at the heart of power after the 2016 election.

Now Kushner's surprise appearance at Trump's daily coronavirus briefing Thursday has confirmed his rise to the top tier on one of the greatest crises to hit the country in its history.

Trump's vice president, Mike Pence, is meant to be coordinating the complex government response to an illness overwhelming the health system and economy. For days there had been whispers that Kushner, a real estate scion who casts himself as a dynamic thinker, was running a shadow team. On the briefing room podium, Kushner emerged from that shadow.

While making sure to say he was there to assist Pence, Kushner spoke with the self-confidence -- critics often call it arrogance -- of someone enjoying unique influence.

Asked to describe his still vaguely defined mission, Kushner suggested he would reinvigorate a team struggling with the dire challenge of battling the pandemic across the vast, diverse country.

Kushner said Trump had asked him "to make sure that we think outside the box, make sure we're finding all the best thinkers in the country, making sure we're getting all the best ideas."