Jared Kushner loses top-level security clearance from White House

Jared Kushner has lost his top-level security clearance, significantly reducing his access to classified information.

Donald Trump's advisor and son-in-law had been operating with an interim clearance at the "top secret/sensitive compartmented information" level for more than a year.

That has now been downgraded to the lower "secret" level, according to a White House official and a person familiar with the decision, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mr Kushner was among a number of people to see their access to information restricted after a security shake-up.

But news of his loss of access to the nation's deepest secrets prompted speculation that Mr Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump are losing influence in the White House.

Ms Trump was also operating on an interim clearance, according to NBC, meaning that her top-secret access may also have been reduced.

Mr Kushner's top secret access was downgraded after an order from chief of staff John Kelly, who said all White House officials still operating under an interim clearance since before 1 June 2017 should be cut off.

President Trump could have overridden the decision to unilaterally offered Mr Kushner a clearance, but deferred to Mr Kelly.

A spokesman for Mr Kushner accepted that his access had been restricted but said that he was among "dozens of people" in the White House in the same position.

His office told NBC News that the change will not affect his "ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the president."