US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born billionaire, as his senior adviser for Arab and Center Jap Affairs. Boulos can be the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump. The President-elect made the announcement on Fact Social, highlighting Boulos’s authorized and enterprise experience.
“I’m proud to announce that Massad Boulos will function Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Center Jap affairs. Massad is an achieved lawyer and a extremely revered chief within the enterprise world, with in depth expertise on the Worldwide scene,” Trump wrote on Fact Social.
“He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Marketing campaign, and was instrumental in constructing super new coalitions with the Arab American Group. Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of PEACE within the Center East. He might be a powerful advocate for the US, and its pursuits, and I’m happy to have him on our group,” Trump concluded.
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Fact Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 1, 2024
Earlier, Trump prolonged a diplomatic function to Charles Kushner, the father-in-law of his daughter Ivanka Trump, as ambassador to France.
Who’s Massad Boulos?
Massad Boulos, born in Lebanon, moved to Texas as a youngster to pursue increased schooling on the College of Houston. His skilled journey started in Nigeria, the place he joined his household’s automotive enterprise, finally rising to management positions at SCOA Motors and Boulos Enterprises.
Some reviews recommend Mr Boulos unsuccessfully contested a parliamentary seat in Lebanon in 2009 and maintained ties with the nation’s Christian political elite – partly on account of his father-in-law’s monetary help of the Free Patriotic Motion, a Christian social gathering aligned with Hezbollah. Mr Boulos has denied these claims.
In an October 2024 interview with Newsweek, he stated he was not affiliated with any social gathering in Lebanon, although he acknowledged being “acquainted with most Lebanese Christian leaders,” together with a Hezbollah-endorsed presidential candidate. He additionally refuted earlier reviews by Arab Information and AP about his alleged parliamentary candidacy.
In a June interview with AP, Mr Boulos described himself as a “good friend” of Suleiman Frangieh, the chief of Lebanon’s Marada Motion, whose presidential bid is backed by Hezbollah. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who endorsed Frangieh in 2023, was later killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in September.
Mr Boulos’s father and grandfather had been influential figures in Lebanese politics, and his father-in-law was a major monetary supporter of the Free Patriotic Motion, a Christian social gathering allied with Hezbollah.
Lately, Mr Boulos performed a significant function in Donald Trump’s marketing campaign, specializing in gaining help from Arab American voters in key states like Michigan. As reported by Axios, he has additionally acted as a vital middleman between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Trump, facilitating communication within the months main as much as the election.
Michael Boulos, the son of Massad Boulos, and Tiffany Trump had been married in an elaborate ceremony at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Membership in Florida in November 2022, following their engagement within the White Home Rose Backyard throughout Trump’s first time period.
