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President-elect Donald Trump has hired two sons-in-law to take on foreign policy duties as he fills his administration with loyalists.
Over the weekend, Trump appointed Massad Boulos as his top Middle East adviser and appointed Charles Kushner as ambassador to France. Boulos is the father-in-law of daughter Tiffany, while Kushner is the father-in-law of eldest daughter Ivanka.
Kushner, a 70-year-old executive, has contributed heavily to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
He also received a presidential pardon at the end of Trump’s first term after being convicted of multiple counts of tax evasion, campaign finance violations and tampering with evidence, for which he served time in prison. It was released in 2006.
Kushner’s appointment comes at a critical time in US-France relations. Trump has criticized his European allies for not spending enough on defense, taking the headlines for his first term.
Trump’s appointment of Boulos, who will be the president’s chief adviser on Arab affairs and the Middle East, will make the Lebanese car more difficult to end the US agreement between Israel and Hizbollah in Lebanon.
Trump’s Middle East team also includes a real estate developer Steve Witkoffwhom Trump named special envoy to the region, and the nominee for US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
None of those named have diplomatic credentials and reflect Trump’s penchant for elevating close friends and relatives to high office.
“Massad is an entrepreneur, 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 happy to have him on our team!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Boulos, whose son Michael is married to Tiffany, has spent years lobbying for Trump’s support among Arab Americans in a war-torn area of Michigan.
Boulos recently traveled to Washington to meet with Lebanese officials and other diplomats and US representatives.
He is widely considered to be the next person to oversee relations between Israel and Lebanon, taking over from President Joe Biden’s senior adviser Amos Hochstein.
Hochstein told several people close to Trump about the ceasefire but not Boulos, a person familiar with the matter said. Hochstein contacted Witkoff, Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and Jared Kushner, the person said.
Jared Kushner held a number of prominent positions in Trump’s first administration, particularly related to the Middle East, while Ivanka also served as a senior adviser. No one is expected to take any major positions this time.
Jared Kushner and Trump’s son Donald Jr are also key advisers to the transition.
Born to a Christian family in Kfar Akka, Lebanon, Boulos moved to Texas as a teenager to attend the University of Houston. After graduating, Boulos joined his family’s automotive business in Nigeria, rising to lead Scoa Motors and Boulos Enterprises, which dominate the Nigerian motorcycle and car market.
He is known to have close ties to Lebanon’s Christian political community, including Suleiman Frangieh, a senior Christian politician and Hizbollah’s choice to fill the vacant leadership position.
The US last week announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a ceasefire, ending more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah.
The US-backed cease-fire agreement marks a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Hizbollah southern Lebanon within 60 days. The Lebanese army and Unifil troops are expected to be deployed in the area, which will be followed by a monitoring process led by the US.
Additional reporting by Adrienne Klasa
