WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday named Massad Boulos, a Lebanese American businessman who is the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany, as a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
Boulos arranged Trump campaign efforts to engage the Arab American community in Michigan, organizing dozens of meetings in areas with large Arab American populations angered by Democratic President Joe Biden's backing of Israel's offensives in Gaza and Lebanon. Trump won the majority Arab American city of Dearborn Heights on his way to sweeping Michigan and other swing states.
“He has been a longtime proponent of Republican and Conservative values, an asset to my Campaign, and was instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump and Boulos said the Republican president-elect would bring peace to the Middle East, but neither has publicly offered concrete details on Trump's plans for the region.
Boulos has previously sought office in Lebanon and has long-standing ties to political figures in the country. Other Trump picks for key national security positions are staunch supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a Trump ally.
Mike Huckabee, Trump's pick for ambassador to Israel, has consistently rejected a Palestinian state in territories seized by Israel. He has claimed “there really isn’t such a thing” as Palestinians, in referring to the descendants of people who lived in Palestine before the establishment of Israel.
Trump's pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, advocated for rebuilding a biblical Jewish temple on the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Boulos helped capitalize on dissension within the Democratic base over support for the Israeli offensive in Gaza, where more than 44,000 people have died since Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory who don't separate civilians and fighters in their totals.
Trump won Michigan by just over 10,000 votes in 2016 and Biden retook the state for the Democrats in 2020 by roughly 154,000 votes. Trump carried Michigan in November over Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, with 49.7% of the vote.
“Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump, who has long installed family members and their relatives in key positions, is signaling that he will run his second administration the same way. On Saturday, he announced that he intends to nominate real estate developer Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, to serve as ambassador to France.
Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, contributed to this report.
FILE - Massad Boulos visits The Great Commoner, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump signs autographs as Massad Boulos listens during a visit to The Great Commoner, Nov. 1, 2024, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
DENVER (AP) — If anyone has the elixir to counter the flourishing connection between Cleveland teammates Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy, it should be Sean Payton, whose Denver Broncos host the Brown s on Monday night.
“I've coached both of them,” said Payton, who spent three years with Winston in New Orleans and a year with Jeudy in Denver before granting his trade request last March.
“Jameis’s personality is infectious. He’ll tell somebody, ‘Hey, go get open and I’m going to find you.’ So that’s what a receiver wants," Payton said. "Those guys have had a good connection. You see it just in the limited games that Jameis has played."
As for Jeudy, “from a talent standpoint, he has great hips, great transition, and he has great football IQ.”
Winston and Jeudy have connected two dozen times for 379 yards and a touchdown over the past four weeks, which included wins over playoff contenders Baltimore and Pittsburgh, giving the Browns (3-8) a glimmer of hope they can salvage their season.
To do that, they'd almost certainly have to get a win in Denver, which has its own blossoming duo in rookie quarterback Bo Nix and veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who has 36 catches for 467 yards and three TDs over the past five weeks.
Winston took over when QB Deshaun Watson sustained a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in mid-October and in his first start in two years threw for 334 yards and three TDs in a win over the Ravens.
That performance had fans wondering why the team stuck with Watson for so long, but it sure didn't raise Payton's eyebrows.
Winston started the 2021 season for the injury-ravaged Saints and had them off to a 5-2 start when he tore an ACL against Tampa Bay, ending his season.
“I enjoyed" coaching him, Payton said. “He’s big. He’s tremendous in the locker room. He’s got this infectious personality, a smile on his face every day he’s at work. You hear him before you see him, that type of guy.
"I really enjoyed coaching him and having a chance to work with him. He’s the ultimate pro. He has natural leadership abilities, and you feel that with him,” he said.
Not surprisingly, Payton was less of a fan when they were division rivals on opposite sidelines.
“You have to remember now there were years when he was in Tampa playing against us. I hated him because that was one of the opposing teams’ quarterbacks, but we always had some good battles," Payton said, chuckling.
"When he came to our program, he was a sponge as a backup. Again, he tore his ACL and he was having a really good season. It will be good to shake his hand and see him after the game."
He also would like to shake Jeudy's hand. Although Jeudy was unhappy with his opportunities and his role in Denver, Payton was a big fan of his during their sole season together and resisted the temptation to trade him at the deadline last year before relenting and sending him to the Browns for a pair of 2024 draft picks.
After working with veterans Winston, Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater in New Orleans and with Russell Wilson his first year in Denver, Payton went the rookie route in the draft and grabbed Nix at No. 12.
The sixth quarterback selected in this year's draft has been the best over the past two months, piling up honors such as the NFL's Rookie of the Month in October and the past three NFL Rookie of the Week awards.
He has thrown for at least 200 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in his past three games, which is tied for the longest streak by a rookie since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The others to do it were C.J. Stroud, Gardner Minshew and Dak Prescott.
Not that Nix is paying much mind.
“Not really. All I can focus on is the next game, the next opponent, what I can do to win, what I can do to help the team win and right now it’s just executing," he said. “There’s always going to be the off-the-field things. It doesn’t matter if you don’t play well. All I’m concerned about right now is the next opponent and that’s Cleveland.”
Nix was listed on the injury report with a strained back muscle that's bothered him since last week. But he gave a short answer when asked about it Friday: “Good to go. Ready to roll.”
AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
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Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton pulls in a touchdown pass as Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones (18) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) greets fans after an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Denver Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton walks on the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) carries against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson (26) in the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston (5) scrambles in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
