U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stated on Sunday morning that Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born billionaire whose son Michael is married to Trump’s daughter Tiffany, will be his senior adviser on Arab and Middle East affairs.
“Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the international scene,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”
The president-elect added that his daughter’s father-in-law “is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of peace in the Middle East,” who “will be a strong advocate for the United States and its interests.”
Boulos “was a critical figure for Trump in the swing state of Michigan, campaigning for the president-elect among Arab American voters,” the Hill reported. “Trump ended up winning the state again.”
“President Trump’s doctrine is peace through strength,” the billionaire told Sky News last month. “His main aim and target is to achieve peace in the Middle East. Lasting peace.”
“Yes it’s very tough. From a humanitarian view, it’s very, very sad. And even President Trump is very saddened, and he has expressed that,” Boulos said. “He doesn’t like to see any civilian death, and the civilian death we’ve seen on both sides—whether it’s the Israeli or the Palestinian side, and definitely now in Lebanon—is extremely sad on all sides.”
“He doesn’t want to see more civilian death,” he added. “He wants these wars to be over.”
Earlier this year, Boulos described the favored presidential candidate for Lebanon of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group as a “friend” in remarks to the Associated Press.
He was reportedly also involved with Christian Lebanese parties allied with Hezbollah’s “political” wing.
Boulos subsequently told Newsweek that he is “not affiliated with any party in Lebanon” but remains “acquainted with most Lebanese Christian leaders,” one of whom is a Hezbollah-backed presidential candidate.
In September, Boulos met Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, a P.A. official told local media last month.
Boulos reportedly also helped orchestrate a letter of well-wishes Abbas sent to Trump after his July 13 assassination attempt. “Boulos has been the main channel of communication between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Trump in recent months,” Axios reported, citing U.S. and Palestinian sources.
Trump made the announcement about Boulos the day after he said that Charles Kushner—whose son Jared is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka—would be his ambassador to France.
Kushner “is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist and dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our country and its interests,” Trump stated, of the founder and chairman of Kushner Companies, “one of the largest and most successful privately held real estate firms in the nation.”
“His son, Jared, worked closely with me in the White House, in particular on Operation Warp Speed, criminal justice reform and the Abraham Accords,” Trump added. “Together, we will strengthen America’s partnership with France, our oldest ally and one of our greatest.”