Massad Boulos: Trump appoints his daughter Tiffany’s fathers-in-law as senior advisers on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs

CNN
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Donald Trump has chosen billionaire Massad Boulos as his senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs – For the second time in as many days, the president-elect has chosen a family member for a key post.

Although Trump didn’t mention it in his announcement on Sunday, Boulous is the father-in-law of future President Tiffany’s daughter and was heavily involved in the Trump campaign in Muslim American communities in battleground states. On Saturday, Trump appointed the real estate developer Charles Kushner will be the next US ambassador to France. Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka and was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after being convicted on federal charges in 2005.

The extraordinary selection of his daughters’ fathers-in-law for two crucial posts underscores how Trump will continue his precedent of leaning on trusted family members in his second term.

Trump described Boulos on Sunday as “a highly respected leader in the business world with extensive experience on the international stage.”

“Massad is a dealmaker and a steadfast 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!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump has long turned to his family members to fill political roles, raising questions about conflicts of interest and nepotism. From 2017 to 2021, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner served as senior advisers in the West Wing offices, providing input on a range of topics. Kushner was a lead negotiator of the Abraham Accords, a pact that normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to continue advising Trump on Middle East issues outside the White House. Ivanka Trump has said she has no plans to return to Washington in any formal capacity.

Donald Trump’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump ran the family real estate business during his first term in office, but emerged as key surrogates in the 2024 campaign. The president-elect’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, meanwhile, was installed as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

Tiffany Trump, who graduated from Georgetown University with a law degree in 2020, has not commented publicly on politics.

And 18-year-old Barron Trump, who began studying at New York University this fall, proved to be a key influence in his father’s decision to appear on high-profile podcasts aimed at the young male voters who favored Trump November helped us win.

The appointments raise questions about influence and power — and profit — among Trump family members in the U.S. government. For example, Jared Kushner’s possible involvement this time brings with it a new, complicated level: Shortly after leaving Washington, he founded an investment fund that was significantly supported by sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf region. In recent years, his investment fund received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have moved against President Joe Biden over allegations that the president’s son, Hunter Biden, improperly benefited financially from his father’s tenure as vice president. There is evidence that Hunter Biden used his famous name while making lucrative foreign deals, which may be unfavorable but not illegal. However, there is no evidence that Joe Biden ever benefited from or was influenced by his son’s business dealings while in office, and congressional Republicans’ impeachment inquiry into Biden failed.

Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation earlier this year that would require presidents and vice presidents to disclose their tax returns and any foreign payments made to them or their families in the two years before they take office. during her term of office and in the two years that followed.

CNN’s Kit Maher contributed to this report.