Kushner's contacts with Russia 'never came up' at G-7 summit, says Trump adviser

SICILY, Italy -- President Trump’s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, repeatedly declined to answer media questions about reports that the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, sought back-channel communications with Russia prior to Trump's taking office. But McMaster said “generally speaking,” he would not be concerned about such an action.

“It’s not something that I've in any way been involved with or have any knowledge of,” McMaster said at a press briefing in Italy of the revelation that Kushner talked about communications in his discussion with Russia’s U.S. ambassador in December, prior to Trump’s taking office.

Asked whether he would be concerned as a general matter if someone in the administration or National Security Council sought back-channel communications with the Russian embassy, McMaster said he would not.

“No, we have back-channel communications with a number of countries. So generally speaking about back-channel communications, what that allows you to do is to communicate in a discreet manner,” McMaster said.

Pressed in a follow-up about question whether he has any concerns at all about Kushner's talking to the Russian ambassador about setting up back-channel communications, McMaster stayed silent and simply did not respond.

Back-channeling is a practice at times used by government officials, but Kushner was not yet a government employee at the time of his contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December.

Another senior administration official, chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, said the topic of Kushner and his relationship to Russia was not raised at the G-7 summit in Italy which ended today.

"Never came up," Cohn said when asked if subject was discussed.

He also said that issues around Russia, while discussed at the G-7, were not raised in any of the president’s bilateral meetings.

"Russia as a country came up a lot. It was part of the communique; it was discussed many times Russia as a country," Cohn said. "Russia never came up in the bilaterals.”

Trump held no press conferences on trip

Asked about the absence of any press conferences by Trump during the trip, Cohn said the president has been very busy with a “robust schedule” and that he has “worked nonstop.”

“The president, when I left to get here, was still in the G-7 meeting with the heads of state," Cohn said. "He was not going to get up and be the first to leave. The president has also made a commitment to visit our troops here on the island, so he’s got a robust schedule.”

“He has put in literally, publicly, he’s put in 16-, 18-hour days, and privately he’s put in 20-hour days preparing for those days. He has worked nonstop since he got here,” Cohn added.

When reporters said other world leaders are making time to hold press briefings, Cohn said, “I don’t know that that’s true.”

Paris climate deal

Cohn, asked to explain his comment Friday that the president’s view on the Paris climate accord is evolving, said Trump is “continuously talking to people about the issue to gain more knowledge about the issue.”

Cohn would not say which way the president is leaning on whether to keep the U.S. in the agreement.

The president announced on Twitter this morning that he will make a final decision next week.

'Amazing deals'

Speaking broadly speaking about Trump's foreign trip, Cohn said the “the president was able to make some of the most amazing deals that have been made by an administration ever.”

Cohn specifically cited the arms deal and private business deals announced in Saudi Arabia, saying they amount to close to “half a trillion [dollars] in deals” and that he’s never seen so many deals come together at once.