Trump Names Massad Boulos as Mideast Adviser

Facts

Pres.-elect Donald Trump on Sunday appointed Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, marking the second family-connected appointment following Charles Kushner's nomination as French ambassador.^[1]^[2]
Boulos, a billionaire with extensive business connections in Nigeria and Lebanon, is the father of Michael Boulos, who married Trump's daughter Tiffany in November 2022 at Mar-a-Lago.^[3]
During Trump's campaign, Boulos led outreach efforts to Arab-American communities, organizing numerous meetings across Michigan and other states with significant Arab populations.^[3]
Campaign officials credited Boulos with helping flip some of the 300K Arab-Americans and Muslims in Michigan who previously supported Pres. Joe Biden then became frustrated with his policies regarding Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon.^[3]
Born in Lebanon, Boulos moved to Texas as a teenager, attended the University of Houston, and became a US citizen. He later established himself as Chief Executive Officer of Boulos Enterprises and SCOA Nigeria.^[4]
Boulos is a friend of Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian associate of Hezbollah and that organization's candidate for president of Lebanon. Boulos' father-in-law helped fund the Free Patriotic Movement, which is aligned with Hezbollah.^[5]

Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. This appointment demonstrates Trump's strategic approach to Middle East relations, leveraging Boulos's extensive regional connections and successful outreach to Arab-American voters to build new coalitions and promote peace in the region.
Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic. The selection raises serious concerns about nepotism and potential conflicts of interest, following a pattern of Trump appointing family members to key positions, while questions persist about influence and power among Trump's family members in government.