Trump Introduces Massad Boulos as Senior Advisor on Middle Eastern Affairs

Donald Trump, the elected President of the United States, has introduced Massad Boulos as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs; Massad Boulos is a Lebanese-American businessman and Donald Trump's son-in-law's father. Mr. Trump announced this news on the social media platform Truth on Sunday evening, December 2, referring to Massad Boulos as 'a long-time supporter of Republican and conservative values.' Donald Trump also noted that Massad Boulos was 'an asset' in his election campaign and 'played a role in creating new and extraordinary coalitions with the Arab-American community.' According to the Associated Press, Mr. Boulos organized dozens of meetings and forums during Donald Trump's election campaign to engage with Arab-Americans in Michigan. The Arab-American population in this state was angered by the Biden administration's support for Israel's attacks on Gaza. Ultimately, Donald Trump was able to win in Michigan and also in Dearborn, the largest Arab-populated city in the U.S. located in this state. Regarding the role of the Lebanese family of Trump's son-in-law in the new American government, Mr. Trump also referred to Massad Boulos as 'a dealmaker and a staunch supporter of peace in the Middle East.' Both Donald Trump and Massad Boulos have previously stated that the new U.S. government will be aligned with establishing peace in the Middle East; however, they have not publicly provided specific details or plans regarding this. According to Reuters, Mr. Boulos has strong roots in both the U.S. and Lebanon. Michael Boulos, Mr. Boulos's son, and Tiffany Trump, Mr. Trump's daughter, married each other in late 2022. Both Mr. Boulos's father and grandfather were political figures in Lebanon, and he himself has good relations with Lebanese political leaders. According to the Associated Press, during his previous presidency, Mr. Trump appointed family members and their close associates to key positions, and several of them have also been introduced for roles in the new government. The elected President of the United States announced on Saturday that he intends to nominate Charles Kushner, a real estate businessman and the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as the U.S. ambassador to France.