Trump's Middle East adviser has a shady résumé

In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump appointed Massad Boulos to advise on Middle East affairs, amidst concerns over Boulos' questionable business accomplishments. While publicly presented as a billionaire mogul, corporate records indicate that Boulos manages a truck dealership in Nigeria, which posted a profit of less than $66,000 last year. The company, SCOA Nigeria PLC, is valued at approximately $865,000, with Boulos owning a negligible share. This appointment follows his active role in pushing Trump's 2024 campaign, particularly among Arab American voters in battleground states such as Michigan where he emphasized Trump’s foreign policy achievements. However, Boulos’ lack of a robust diplomatic background calls into question the effectiveness of the vetting process used by Trump's team, particularly given their surprise over previous controversies related to other appointees. Furthermore, Boulos’ links to Arab political circles and Lebanese figures with various allegiances, including the Hezbollah-endorsed Sleiman Frangieh, raises concerns about potential biases. The appointment comes as the Middle East confronts significant crises, including the intense conflict in Gaza, and suggests a continuation of Trump’s practice of placing family-affiliated individuals in key positions. With Boulos’ son married to Tiffany Trump, the family’s political involvement appears to be growing, raising additional scrutiny regarding the implications of such connections in international policy-making.