United States President-elect Donald Trump has selected Massad Boulos, a Lebanon-born billionaire, as his senior White House adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, citing Boulos’s outreach to Arab Americans during the election campaign.
The announcement, made on Sunday, comes as the Trump administration continues to take shape, particularly regarding key appointments for US policy in the Middle East.
In a statement on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Massad Boulos, saying, “Massad is an accomplished lawyer and a highly respected leader in the business world, with extensive experience on the international scene.”
Trump further emphasized, “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!”
Boulos’s new role follows the earlier appointments of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, and Steven Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East.
However, the specific details of Boulos’s responsibilities remain unclear. Boulos will be overseeing a complex portfolio, with ongoing conflicts such as the war in Gaza, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, and escalating tensions in Syria.
Boulos, who is the father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany, was a key emissary during the Trump campaign, working to engage Arab American and Muslim voters. These communities were notably critical of President Joe Biden’s steadfast support for Israel during the Gaza conflict, which saw significant civilian casualties.
“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,” Trump added.
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Massad Boulos’s business connections are extensive, with sources noting his influence within Lebanon’s fragmented political landscape. He has maintained ties with various political factions, including Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group with significant power in Lebanon’s parliament. Boulos is also connected to the Lebanese Forces Party, which is strongly opposed to Hezbollah.
The businessman, who has family ties to Nigeria through automotive distribution companies, previously ran for a seat in the Lebanese parliament without success. His son, Michael, married Tiffany Trump in a ceremony at the Mar-a-Lago Club in November 2022.
In a past interview with UK-based broadcaster Sky News, Massad Boulos discussed the need to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza swiftly, stating, “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 further added, “Let’s move to peace, and let’s move to rebuilding Gaza and rebuilding Lebanon.” Boulos has consistently advocated for prosperity and peace for the Palestinian people, envisioning a future where they can live “in peace, in harmony, side by side with the Israelis and full security on both sides.”
Boulos’s appointment underscores the Trump administration’s broader Middle Eastern strategy, with an emphasis on international diplomacy, business acumen, and political influence across the region.
