US President-elect Donald Trump has named Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of his youngest daughter Tiffany, as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. The appointment, announced Sunday (Dec 2), is the second in as many days when Trump picked a family member for a key post in the incoming administration.
Boulos’ selection follows Saturday’s controversial nomination of Charles Kushner—father to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner—as ambassador to France.
Who is Massad Boulos?
A Lebanese-American businessman, Massad Boulos’s family runs businesses across Nigeria and Lebanon. His son Michael is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany.
According to reports, Boulos was key in mobilising support from Arab American and Muslim communities during Trump’s presidential campaign. The businessman previously tried to win a seat in the Lebanese parliament but was unsuccessful.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, the president-elect lauded Boulos as “an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the International scene” and an “unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East”.
Massad “will be a strong advocate for the United States, and its interests,” added trump in his post.
Boulos faces a daunting task. The Middle East remains deeply volatile, with the war in Gaza escalating, tensions simmering along Lebanon’s border, and Syria’s internal strife reigniting. Previously, Boulos has publicly championed swift conflict resolution.
In October, speaking during the campaign, he stressed the importance of ending wars “quickly”.
“What do we mean by finishing it quickly is, I mean, you have some military targets that you have to accomplish, which is to get rid of the Hamas infrastructure and ability to launch new attacks and so on,” he told Sky News.
“Let’s move to peace, and let’s move to rebuilding Gaza and rebuilding Lebanon,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)