President-elect Trump on Sunday announced the appointment of Lebanese billionaire Massad Boulos, whose son Michael is married to Tiffany Trump, as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
“Mr. Massad is a talented lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business community with extensive experience in the international arena,” President Trump said in a message to Truth Social.
“He is a long-time supporter of Republican and conservative values, has been an asset to my campaign, and has been instrumental in forging new and greater alliances with the Arab American community.” he continued. “Mr. Massad is a consensus builder and unwavering supporter of peace in the Middle East. He will be a strong advocate for the United States and its interests. I am pleased to add him to our team!”
The president-elect's youngest daughter Tiffany Trump will marry Michael Boulos in 2022, and Donald Trump walked her down the aisle with his daughter.
Massad Boulos is just the latest family member on track for a post in President Trump's administration. On Saturday, President Trump announced that he would nominate Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as ambassador to France.
Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivana Trump, played a role in Trump's first term but are not expected to play a role in Trump's second term.
Boulos was a key figure for President Trump in the battleground state of Michigan, where he was campaigning for the president-elect among Arab American voters. In the end, Trump won the state again.
He is a billionaire and the leader of his family-run automobile company, SCOA Nigeria.
Boulos is likely to play a role in any efforts by President Trump to reach a peace agreement in the region, which has been at war since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
Since then, the Israeli government has led a bloody war in the Gaza Strip, sometimes threatening to erupt into a wider regional war as Iran and Israel launch missile attacks on each other.
Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon, reached a ceasefire agreement this week.
