President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, as his Arab and Middle Eastern affairs advisor. During the election season, Boulos hit the campaign trail for Trump to help with the Arab American vote.
Trump announced the pick in a Sunday post on Truth Social. He wrote, “I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.”
The president-elect explained that Boulos is “an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene.”
“He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community,” Trump continued.
Trump asserted that Boulos is a strong supporter of having peace in the Middle East.
“Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East. He will be a strong advocate for the United States, and its interests, and I am pleased to have him on our team!”
Reuters reports:
Boulos is a friend of Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian ally of Hezbollah and its candidate for Lebanon’s presidency. He is also in touch with the Lebanese Forces Party, a vehemently anti-Hezbollah Christian faction, the sources say, and has ties to independent lawmakers.
Aron Lund, fellow at the Century Foundation think tank, said Boulos was well placed to influence Trump’s Middle East policy after playing a small but significant role in expanding Trump’s appeal to Arab American and Muslim voters during the campaign.
“Boulos’ Lebanese political past gives no real indication of a geostrategic or even national vision, but it demonstrates ambition and a set of political allies that will stand out in Trump’s circle like a sore thumb,” Lund wrote.
Boulos is the second father-in-law to one of his daughters to be given a role in the administration over the weekend.
On Saturday, Trump said he had chosen Charles Kushner, father of Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner, to serve as U.S. ambassador to France.