US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born billionaire, as his senior adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs. Boulos is also the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany Trump. The President-elect made the announcement on Truth Social, highlighting Boulos’s legal and business expertise.

“I am proud to announce that Massad Boulos will serve as Senior Advisor to the President on Arab and Middle Eastern 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. 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,” Trump concluded.

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— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 1, 2024

Earlier, Trump extended a diplomatic role to Charles Kushner, the father-in-law of his daughter Ivanka Trump, as ambassador to France.

Who is Massad Boulos?

Massad Boulos, born in Lebanon, moved to Texas as a teenager to pursue higher education at the University of Houston. His professional journey began in Nigeria, where he joined his family’s automotive business, eventually rising to leadership positions at SCOA Motors and Boulos Enterprises.

Some reports suggest Mr Boulos unsuccessfully contested a parliamentary seat in Lebanon in 2009 and maintained ties with the country’s Christian political elite – partly due to his father-in-law’s financial support of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party aligned with Hezbollah. Mr Boulos has denied these claims.

In an October 2024 interview with Newsweek, he said he was not affiliated with any party in Lebanon, though he acknowledged being “acquainted with most Lebanese Christian leaders,” including a Hezbollah-endorsed presidential candidate. He also refuted earlier reports by Arab News and AP about his alleged parliamentary candidacy.

In a June interview with AP, Mr Boulos described himself as a “friend” of Suleiman Frangieh, the leader of Lebanon’s Marada Movement, whose presidential bid is backed by Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who endorsed Frangieh in 2023, was later killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut in September.

Mr Boulos’s father and grandfather were influential figures in Lebanese politics, and his father-in-law was a significant financial supporter of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party allied with Hezbollah.

Recently, Mr Boulos played a major role in Donald Trump’s campaign, focusing on gaining support from Arab American voters in key states like Michigan. As reported by Axios, he has also acted as a crucial intermediary between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Trump, facilitating communication in the months leading up to the election.

Michael Boulos, the son of Massad Boulos, and Tiffany Trump were married in an elaborate ceremony at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida in November 2022, following their engagement in the White House Rose Garden during Trump’s first term.