LANSING, Mich. (AP) — One of Donald Trump's Arab American envoys is a Lebanese-born businessman who moved to Texas as a teenager, speaks Arabic, English and French and recently joined the Trump family when his son married the former president's second daughter.
Massad Bouros has the difficult task of convincing a politically influential community angry at President Joe Biden that Trump is a better option, but he also points out that many Arab Americans have positioned Trump as more pro-Israel than Biden and has made a series of statements and policy announcements that critics denounce as Islamophobic.
Trump has long placed family members and close relatives in key roles in his campaigns and the White House, and Boulos, whose son Michael married Tiffany Trump two years ago, is the latest relative to emerge as Trump's political influencer as he tries to leverage his longtime connections to build support for the campaign of what is likely to be the 2024 Republican nomination.
Some of Trump's allies believe Biden could exploit discord among Democrats over his support for Israel's attacks on Gaza, where more than 37,000 people have died since Hamas began its offensive on Oct. 7, health officials in Hamas-controlled areas have said but have not given a breakdown between civilians and combatants. Biden faced large protest votes in Michigan's February primary in areas with large Arab-American populations that are key Democratic strongholds.
“The top priority for the Arab American community is obviously the current wars in the Middle East,” Bouros said in an interview. “The question is: Who brings peace and who brings war? They know the answer.”
Some of those who met with Boulos also cited Trump's comments about Arabs and Muslims. During his presidency, Trump banned immigration from several Muslim-majority countries and questioned the loyalty of Muslim members of Congress. Trump, who lost the 2020 election and is campaigning for a second term, has also criticized Biden for not being supportive enough of Israel and has threatened to expel pro-Palestinian protesters he labels Hamas sympathizers.
“I told Massad, 'This isn't about you being Lebanese or I being Lebanese,'” said Osama Siblani, publisher of Arab American News in Dearborn. “You can't just buy votes. You have to give the community something substantial, and Trump hasn't done that yet.”
Heirs of wealthy families enter American politics
A medium-sized man with dark hair streaked with gray, square glasses and a warm, friendly smile, Boulos is often praised for his calm demeanor and humility — qualities not always associated with the man who oversees a billion-dollar conglomerate.
Born in Lebanon, Boulos moved to Texas shortly before enrolling at the University of Houston to earn a Juris Doctor degree. He said he was active in Republican politics during his time as a student.
After graduation, he joined his third-generation family business as Managing Director and CEO of SCOA Nigeria, a conglomerate that specializes in the assembly and distribution of automobiles and equipment.
Bouros has a political background in his home country and unsuccessfully ran for parliament in Lebanon in 2009. He describes himself as a “friend” of Suleiman Franjieh, a Christian politician allied with Shiite parties and the militant group Hezbollah, who is currently Hezbollah's preferred candidate for the vacant Lebanese presidency.
Boulolos had supported Trump from afar since his first campaign but became more directly involved after meeting him at a White House Christmas party in 2019. At the time, Michael Boulolos was dating Tiffany Trump.
Massad Boulos has not made any recent donations, according to campaign finance records, but during a visit to Michigan this month, he attended what he described as a “private fundraiser” with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and about 50 Arab-Americans.
Boulos helped with the 2020 campaign but his role has expanded significantly since his son's marriage to Tiffany Trump in 2022, as discontent with Biden, particularly among Arab Americans, has created what Trump's allies see as a greater political opportunity.
“One less vote for Biden is the same as a vote for Trump,” said Bishara Baba, president of an Arab American group that supports Trump.
Boulos maintains a “very close working relationship” with the group, Barba said.
The group, which claims to be independent of the Trump campaign, is active in Michigan and Arizona, which have been identified as priority areas by people close to Trump, Barba said.
The May meeting in Troy, Michigan, was attended by Massad, Michael Boulos, and Richard Grenell, former ambassador to Germany for President Trump and a key foreign policy adviser to the former president. About 40 Arab American activists from around the country attended.
The rally, which was attended by Arab-Americans who support Trump, was largely initiated by Grenell, Bouros said. Reaction to the rally was mixed, with some attendees saying it lacked substance and failed to address their concerns about Trump.
“Grenell did not say what he would do, but he repeatedly stressed that there was no war during the Trump presidency and that he was the one who initiated the largest peace effort in the Middle East. However, most Arabs and Muslims do not consider the Abraham Accords a peace deal,” said Khaled Safri, an Arab-American political activist who attended the conference.
According to people who attended the meeting, Grenell tried to call Trump to address the attendees by phone, but Trump did not respond.
Grenell and the Trump campaign declined to comment.
Inside Outreach Activities
Just a week later, Boulos returned for a new outreach effort, this time holding several meetings with about 50 members of the Arab American community and one-on-one sessions with leaders whom Mike Hacham, Michigan's coordinator for Arab Americans for Trump, identified as “priority targets.”
Mr. Boulos said his efforts so far have been “a personal effort to reconnect with friends.” He typically begins his meetings by spending nearly 20 minutes briefing Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump on their record, then takes questions.
Siblani met with Boulos, who was accompanied by Baba, the chairman of Arab Americans for Trump, for about two hours.
According to Siblani, Bouros argued that the situation for Arab Americans had improved under the Trump administration and that there had been less conflict and war in the world during Trump's presidency, suggesting that Trump could help resolve the Gaza conflict.
But Siblani fired back, saying Boulos lacked “facts to support the claim that Trump is better.”
“Massad hasn't offered anything substantial to the community other than that his son is married to Trump's daughter and he has visitation rights, so he can't bring people to Trump's side,” Siblani said. “That's fine, but we need policy and what Trump will do.”
In the interview, Boulos said Trump “respects and admires the Arab American community.” He denied the existence of what many of Trump's opponents call a “Muslim ban” that bans immigration from several Muslim-majority countries. Boulos argued it is actually “an extreme vetting of people from certain parts of the world.”
The key messages that emerged from those meetings are being conveyed to Trump, Boulos said. As evidence, he highlighted a recent social media post by Trump in which he promised to “bring peace to the Middle East” if re-elected. Boulos argued that the timing of the post was “not a coincidence” but rather a response to “listening to the concerns of the community.”
Trump's statement, posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on June 4, was not enough for several local leaders who met with Boulos.
Trump campaign spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that the campaign “appreciates the efforts of President Trump's supporters to communicate with this region.”
“We share the belief that Biden's failed Middle East policy has brought death, chaos and war to the region — a failure that led tens of thousands of Democrats to vote 'Independent' in Michigan's presidential primary. The Trump campaign has and will continue to get its message across to voters, reminding them that President Trump's Middle East policies have brought historic levels of peace and stability to the region,” Hughes said.
Just the beginning
Some in the community feel there are options beyond Trump and Biden: Green Party candidate Jill Stein visited Dearborn this year to meet with leaders and recently discussed with Mayor Abdullah Hammoud the possibility of her being his running mate.
Hammoud is 34 and ineligible to serve as vice president: the US Constitution requires that both the president and vice president must be at least 35 years old.
Biden administration officials also visited Dearborn and met with local leaders and remain in ongoing contact with them, including Siblani.
Biden campaign spokeswoman Ammar Moussa said in a statement that Trump “is the biggest threat to Muslim and Arab communities” and criticized the efforts of Trump's allies.
“He and his allies believe we do not belong in this country and Trump has openly stated that he would approve Israel's unconditional bombing of Gaza,” said Moussa, who is Arab American. “Trump and his camp are racists and Islamophobes – that's it. President Biden, on the other hand, is working tirelessly towards a just and lasting peace.”
Bouros said he would continue to split his time between running his company and meeting with the Arab American community until the November election.
He stressed that he was motivated solely by being “a concerned citizen and a Republican,” and that he had no plans to play a role in a Trump administration if the Republicans were to win.
“To be honest with you, I haven't thought about it at this point. I haven't really thought about it at all, but I'm definitely not hoping for anything,” he said.
___
Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Washington, Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, and Chinedu Asadu in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
