Trump names Massad Boulos as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs

President-elect Trump tapped his daughter Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, Lebanese-American businessman Dr. Massad Boulos, to join his Cabinet as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.  

“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 wrote on TRUTHSocial. “Massad 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. 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!” 

Boulos led efforts to engage the Arab American community, organizing dozens of meetings across Michigan and other areas with large Arab populations. 

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Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, center, listens to Albert Abbas, owner of The Great Commoner, left, as Massad Boulos looks on during a visit to the cafe, Nov. 1, 2024, in Dearborn, Michigan. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Some sessions also featured Richard Grenell, former acting director of national intelligence, who was well-regarded by those who met with him.

Trump campaign officials and supporters told Reuters that Boulos helped flip some of the 300,000 Arab Americans and Muslims in Michigan who largely backed Biden in 2020 but later grew frustrated with Biden’s policies in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. 

Dr. Massad Boulos, Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, sits for a portrait at the Wall Street Hotel  in New York on Sep 4, 2024.  (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Boulos’ son, Michael, and Tiffany Trump were married in November 2022 at Mar-a-Lago. Trump revealed during a speech to the Detroit Economic Club in October that Tiffany is pregnant. 

Boulos is a billionaire with extensive business connections to Nigeria. He was born in Lebanon but moved to Texas as a teenager. He attended the University of Houston and later became a U.S. citizen. 

According to Reuters, Boulos’ father and grandfather were involved in Lebanese politics, and his father-in-law backed the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party affiliated with Hezbollah. 

Eric Trump, his sister Tiffany Trump and her then-boyfriend Massad Boulos arrive for President Trump’s acceptance speech as the 2020 Republican presidential nominee on the South Lawn of the White House, Aug. 27, 2020.  (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

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Three sources told Reuters that Boulos’ appeal centers on his ability to engage with different factions within Lebanese politics, as he’s even maintained relations with Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Shi’ite Muslim party and terrorist group that largely controls the parliament. Boulos is friends with Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian politician backed by Hezbollah for the presidency, and has been in communication with the Lebanese Forces Party, a Christian faction that staunchly opposes Hezbollah. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates. The Associated Press contributed to this report.