President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman who is the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany, as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
Boulos arranged Trump campaign efforts to engage the Arab American community in Michigan, organizing dozens of meetings in areas with large Arab American populations angered by Democratic President Joe Biden's backing of Israel's offensives in Gaza and Lebanon. Trump won the majority Arab American city of Dearborn Heights on his way to sweeping Michigan and other swing states.
“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 said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump and Boulos said the Republican president-elect would bring peace to the Middle East, but neither has publicly offered concrete details on Trump's plans for the region.
Boulos has previously sought office in Lebanon and has long-standing ties to political figures in the country. Other Trump picks for key national security positions are staunch supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally.
Mike Huckabee, Trump's pick for ambassador to Israel, has consistently rejected a Palestinian state in territories seized by Israel. He has claimed “there really isn’t such a thing” as Palestinians, in referring to the descendants of people who lived in Palestine before the establishment of Israel.
Trump's pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, advocated for rebuilding a biblical Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Boulos helped capitalize on dissension within the Democratic base over support for the Israeli offensive in Gaza, where more than 44,000 people have died since Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory who don't separate civilians and fighters in their totals.
Trump won Michigan by just over 10,000 votes in 2016 and Biden retook the state for the Democrats in 2020 by roughly 154,000 votes. Trump carried Michigan in November over Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, with 49.7% of the vote.
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“Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump, who has long installed family members and their relatives in key positions, is signaling that he will run his second administration the same way. On Saturday, he announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.
Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.
