Sun Dec 01 18:40:54 UTC 2024: ## Trump Appoints Billionaire Father-in-Law as Senior White House Advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs

**Washington D.C.** – President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Lebanese-born billionaire Massad Boulos as his senior White House advisor for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. The announcement, made Sunday, comes as the Trump administration continues to fill key positions, particularly those impacting Middle East policy. While the exact scope of Boulos’s role remains unclear, Trump lauded Boulos’s “extensive experience on the International scene” and described him as a “dealmaker” and a strong advocate for peace.

Boulos, the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, played a significant role in the Trump campaign’s outreach to Arab and Muslim American communities. This outreach capitalized on dissatisfaction with President Biden’s support for Israel, particularly during the recent Gaza conflict and the invasion of Lebanon. This strategy, however, required navigating a delicate balance, given Trump’s pro-Israel stance and past policies which included moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Boulos also aimed to alleviate concerns about Trump’s previous travel bans targeting Muslim-majority countries. His efforts yielded mixed results within the Arab American community, with some embracing Trump’s socially conservative message while others criticized Boulos for lacking specific policy details. Nevertheless, the election saw a notable shift in Arab and Muslim American voting patterns, with a significant decrease in support for the Democratic party.

Boulos, a self-described long-time Republican, has largely refrained from publicly stating his own views on Middle East policy. He has denied previous reports of a past parliamentary run in Lebanon and distanced himself from certain Lebanese political figures. His appointment follows Trump’s announcement of Charles Kushner, father of Jared Kushner, as the nominee for US ambassador to France. The appointments continue to shape the contours of Trump’s second term foreign policy, particularly concerning the Middle East.

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