Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman, has recently led the name to the center stage after he was appointed as a Senior Advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs to President-elect Donald Trump. The announcement was made on December 1, 2024, and created a number of firsts within US politics and, more importantly, in terms of outreach by President Trump to the Arab-American communities. He is also the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, the youngest daughter of Donald Trump, adding another family dimension to his political role.
Early life and education
Born in Kfaraakka, Koura, Lebanon, Boulos Massad came from a Greek Orthodox family. Relocating as a teenager to Texas, he pursued higher education at the University of Houston, graduating with a law degree. The family’s political history in Lebanon itself first introduced him to the intricacies of political involvement and peacemaking dynamics early in life.
Business career
He commenced working in the family enterprise, moving to become the CEO in SCOA Nigeria, one of the largest conglomerates, worth billions of dollars, in the distribution of motor vehicles and other equipment within West African countries. Business-wise, he can boast of very solid, extensive international relationships, especially within the Middle East and Africa.
Political participation
That changed in 2022, when his son married Tiffany Trump. Since then, Boulos has become a spearhead for the Trump campaign to mobilize, in the 2024 presidential election, the votes of disaffected Arab Americans and Muslims in increasing numbers alienated by the Democratic Party’s stance on issues concerning Israel and Palestine. Through groups like Arabs for Trump, he has brokered coalition-building in those communities.
His political strategy was set against a background of increased tension because of conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, quite relevantly. This fact has made many Arab Americans unhappy with President Joe Biden’s policy concerning Israel, thus affording Boulos an opportunity to highlight Trump’s approach as better.
Role of senior advisor
As the new Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs, Boulos carries a great deal of challenges on his shoulders: the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the fragile cease-fires involving Hezbollah in Lebanon-all make the landscape so complicated for US foreign policy. In announcing the appointment, Trump praised Boulos as a “dealmaker” and emphasized his experience in international relations as proof that he would further US interests in the region.
The appointment of Boulos is one more reflection of the trend by Trump’s presidency toward familial or close-associate appointments to key positions in his administration. Such a pattern brings up questions of nepotism and possible conflicts of interest, especially considering Boulos’s familial relationship with Trump.
Connections in Lebanese politics
He has good relations with many political elements across the divide in Lebanon, particularly Christian parties like the Free Patriotic Movement, FPM, which has been traditionally allied with Hezbollah. This was not his first foray into Lebanese politics – he was a candidate for parliament in 2009 but eventually pulled out of the race. These associations notwithstanding, Boulos has said that he is independent of any political party in Lebanon.
His rise would carry some meaning because, with his relations with influential Lebanese personalities, he would interpret the regional dynamic to handle the U.S. relations with the Middle East. A number of analysts said his background suggests pragmatism, not ideology, in his politics.
Outreach activities
The politician has been quite active in reaching out to the Arab-American communities through various forms of media and in public forums, articulating Trump’s positions on Middle East-related issues, touting stability and peace, while working to dispel any perception of anti-Arab bias within the Republican Party. He continues this outreach into the discussion of the continued conflicts and the taking of positions that promote solutions based upon diplomatic action rather than military action.
In interviews, Boulos speaks of Trump’s record from his previous term in office, underlining that he was the only president in modern times who did not start new wars and did seek to withdraw U.S. troops from hot spots.
Read more: Musk and Ramaswamy say DOGE will eliminate $500 billion in spending: where will they cut money from in the federal administration?
Read more: What items would rise in price because of Trump’s new U.S. tariffs? The hikes at Walmart, Target, Costco, Dollar Tree…
