Trump appoints Massad Boulos as senior adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs

President-elect Trump has hit on his daughter Tiffany’s father-in-law, Lebanese-American businessman Dr. Massad Boulos, appointed to his cabinet as senior advisor for 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 executive in the business world with extensive experience on the international stage. He is a long-time supporter of Republican and conservative values, an asset to my campaign, and has been instrumental in building great new coalitions with the Arab American community. Massad is a dealmaker and a steadfast supporter of Middle East peace. He will be a strong advocate for the United States and its interests, and I am excited to have him on our team!”

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

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

Also present at some of the meetings was Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence, who was well respected by those who met him.

Trump campaign officials and supporters told Reuters that Boulos helped turn around some of the 300,000 Arab Americans and Muslims in Michigan who largely supported Biden in 2020 but later became 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 September 4, 2024. (Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Boulos’ son Michael and Tiffany Trump married at Mar-a-Lago in November 2022. Trump announced that Tiffany was pregnant during a speech at the Detroit Economic Club in October.

Boulos is a billionaire with extensive business connections in 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 active in Lebanese politics, and his father-in-law supported the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party linked to Hezbollah.

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

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Three sources told Reuters that Boulos’ appeal centers on his ability to engage with various factions of Lebanese politics, as he even maintains ties with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite Muslim party and terrorist group that largely controls parliament. Boulos is friends with Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian politician supported by Hezbollah for president, and is in contact with the Lebanese Forces Party, a Christian faction that is staunchly opposed to Hezbollah.

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