密歇根州兰辛市唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)派往阿拉伯裔美国人的特使之一是一名出生于黎巴嫩的商人，他十几岁时搬到了德克萨斯州，会说阿拉伯语、英语和法语，最近他的儿子与前总统的小女儿结婚后，他加入了特朗普家族。
马萨德·布洛斯接受了挑战，试图说服一个具有政治影响力的群体愤怒的乔·拜登总统认为特朗普是更好的选择。但许多阿拉伯裔美国人也指出，特朗普将自己定位为比拜登更亲以色列，并发表了一系列评论和政策声明，批评者将其抨击为仇视伊斯兰教。
特朗普早就把家属和他们的亲属在他的竞选和白宫中担任重要角色。布洛斯的儿子迈克尔两年前与蒂芙尼·特朗普结婚，他是特朗普政治轨道上最新崛起的亲属。特朗普正在利用长期关系为这位推定的共和党提名人的2024年竞选造势。
特朗普的一些盟友认为，他们可以利用拜登民主党内部对他支持共和党的分歧以色列在加沙的攻势据哈马斯控制地区的卫生官员称，自哈马斯10月7日以来，已有超过37，000人死亡，他们没有提供平民和战斗人员的详细数据。拜登面临着一场重大抗议投票二月份在密歇根州初选期间，该州有大量阿拉伯裔美国人，他们是民主党的一个重要集团。
“很明显，在阿拉伯裔美国人群体中，最优先考虑的问题是当前的中东战争，”布洛斯在接受采访时说。“问题是，谁能带来和平，谁在带来战争?他们知道答案。”
与布洛斯见过面的几个人还指出了特朗普关于阿拉伯人和穆斯林的言论。当总统时，特朗普禁止移民来自几个穆斯林占多数的国家穆斯林议员的忠诚在国会任职。现在，在2020年失败后竞选第二个任期时，特朗普不时批评拜登对以色列的支持不够威胁要驱逐出境亲巴勒斯坦的抗议者被他称为哈马斯的支持者。
“我告诉马萨德，‘这不是你是黎巴嫩人，我也是黎巴嫩人的问题，’”迪尔伯恩的《阿拉伯裔美国人新闻》出版商奥萨马·西布拉尼(Osama Siblani)说。“你不能只买选票。你必须给社区一些实质性的东西。而特朗普还没有做到这一点。”
Boulos中等身材，头发花白，戴着方形眼镜，带着热情友好的微笑，经常因其冷静的举止和谦逊而受到称赞——这些品质并不总是与监管一家价值数十亿美元的企业集团的人联系在一起。
Boulos出生于黎巴嫩，在进入休斯顿大学并获得法学博士学位前不久搬到了德克萨斯州。布洛斯说，他在学生时代就积极参与共和党政治。
毕业后，他最终加入了家族三代人的企业，成为SCOA尼日利亚集团的董事总经理兼首席执行官，该集团专门从事汽车和设备的组装和分销。
Boulos在他的祖国有政治背景，2009年在黎巴嫩竞选议会席位失败。他把自己描述为苏莱曼·弗兰吉他是一名基督教政治家，与什叶派政党和激进组织真主党结盟。Frangieh目前是真主党认可的黎巴嫩总统空缺候选人。
自特朗普第一次竞选以来，他一直是特朗普的支持者，在2019年白宫圣诞派对上遇到特朗普后，他变得更加直接。那时，迈克尔·布洛正在和蒂芙尼·特朗普约会。
根据竞选财务记录，马萨·布洛斯最近没有捐款。但在本月的一次密歇根之行中，他与美国R-La的众议院议长·迈克·约翰逊一起参加了他所说的“私人筹款活动”。密歇根州众议员丽莎·麦克莱恩和大约50名阿拉伯裔美国人。
布洛斯协助了2020年的竞选活动，但自从他的儿子在2022年与蒂芙尼·特朗普结婚以来，他的角色已经明显扩大，特别是因为阿拉伯裔美国人对拜登的不满带来了特朗普盟友认为更大的政治机会。
“少投一票给拜登就是多投一票给特朗普，”阿拉伯裔美国人支持特朗普组织(Arab Americans for Trump)主席比沙拉·巴赫(Bishara Bahbah)说。
Bahbah说，Boulos与该组织保持着“非常密切的工作关系”。
该组织表示，它独立于特朗普的竞选活动，已经在密歇根州和亚利桑那州建立了业务，这些州被“接近特朗普的人”确定为优先地区。
五月举行的会议在密歇根州的特洛伊，包括马萨德和迈克尔·布洛斯，以及理查德·格雷内尔，他是特朗普驻德国大使，也是前总统的重要外交政策顾问。来自全国各地的大约40名阿拉伯裔美国积极分子出席了会议。
虽然支持特朗普的阿拉伯裔美国人参与了这一活动，但布洛斯表示，这主要是由格雷内尔发起的。会议收到了不同的反馈，一些与会者表示，会议缺乏实质内容，未能解决他们对特朗普的担忧。
“格雷内尔没有说他们会做什么，但他不断提醒我们，特朗普当总统时，没有任何战争，他发起了中东最大的和平努力。但是大多数阿拉伯人和穆斯林不认为亚伯拉罕协议一份和平协议，”出席的阿拉伯裔美国政治活动家哈立德·萨夫里说。
据多名与会者透露，格雷内尔试图给特朗普打电话，让他通过电话向与会者发表讲话。前总统没有回答。
格雷内尔和特朗普竞选团队拒绝置评。
仅仅过了一周，布洛斯又回来参加另一轮活动。这一次，他与近50名阿拉伯裔美国人社区的成员举行了几次会议，还与被密歇根州特朗普的阿拉伯裔美国人协调员迈克·哈查姆(Mike Hacham)确定为“高目标”领导人的个人进行了一对一的会谈。
Boulos说，到目前为止，他的努力“更多的是个人努力与朋友重新联系。”他说，他通常会在会议开始时发表近20分钟的讲话，列出拜登和特朗普总统任期的记录。然后他开始提问。
西布拉尼与布洛斯进行了近两个小时的会晤，布洛斯由特朗普的阿拉伯裔美国人主席巴赫巴陪同。
根据西布拉尼的说法，布洛斯认为，在特朗普的领导下，阿拉伯裔美国人的情况更好，在他担任总统期间，世界上的冲突和战争减少了，这表明特朗普可能有助于解决加沙冲突。
但当西布拉尼反驳时，他说布洛斯缺乏“事实来证明他关于特朗普更好的说法”。
西布拉尼说:“马萨德无法说服人们站在特朗普一边，因为他没有为社区提供任何实质性的东西，除了他的儿子和特朗普的女儿结婚了，他有门路。“这很好，但我们需要的是政策和特朗普会做什么。”
在采访中，布洛斯说特朗普“尊重和钦佩”阿拉伯裔美国人社区。他否认存在“穆斯林禁令”，这是许多特朗普的反对者提到的他对来自几个穆斯林占多数的国家的移民的禁令。Boulos认为这实际上是“来自世界某些地区的极端审查”。
布洛斯说，这些会议发出的关键信息都传达给了特朗普。布洛斯强调了特朗普最近在社交媒体上发布的一篇帖子作为证据，该帖子承诺如果连任，将带来“中东和平”。Boulos断言，发布帖子的时间“不是巧合”，而是对“倾听社区关切”的回应。
特朗普于6月4日在其社交媒体平台Truth Social上发布的声明对与布洛斯会面的多位社区领袖来说还不够。
特朗普竞选团队发言人布莱恩·休斯在一份声明中表示，竞选团队“感谢特朗普总统的支持者正在努力与这个社区沟通。”
“我们都认为拜登失败的中东政策给该地区带来了死亡、混乱和战争。这一失败导致成千上万的民主党人在密歇根州的总统初选中投票“未承诺”。特朗普竞选团队已经并将继续与这些选民沟通，提醒他们特朗普总统在中东的政策给该地区带来了历史性的和平与稳定。
社区中的一些人仍然认为，除了特朗普和拜登之外，还有其他选择。绿党候选人吉尔·斯坦今年访问迪尔伯恩会见领导人，最近与该市市长阿卜杜拉·哈穆德就他成为她的竞选伙伴的可能性进行了交谈。
34岁的哈穆德没有资格担任副总统。美国宪法要求总统和副总统都至少35岁。
拜登政府的官员也访问了迪尔伯恩，与当地领导人会面持续进行中与他们接触，包括西布拉尼。
拜登竞选团队的发言人阿马尔·穆萨(Ammar Moussa)批评了特朗普盟友的外联活动，他在一份声明中表示，特朗普“是穆斯林和阿拉伯社区的最大威胁。”
阿拉伯裔美国人穆萨说:“他和他的盟友认为我们不属于这个国家，特朗普公开谈论允许以色列肆无忌惮地轰炸加沙。”“特朗普及其竞选团队是种族主义者和伊斯兰恐惧症患者。句号。另一方面，拜登总统正在为实现公正持久的和平而不懈努力。”
在11月大选之前，Boulos说他将继续把时间分配在管理公司和会见阿拉伯裔美国人社区之间。
他强调，他的唯一动力是成为一名“有责任感的公民和共和党人”。如果共和党获胜，他没有考虑过在特朗普政府中的角色。
“老实说，我现在没有任何想法。我从来没有想过这个问题，但我绝对不渴望任何东西，”他说。
Trump allies hope his daughter's father-in-law can help flip Arab American votes
LANSING, Mich. --One of Donald Trump’s emissaries to Arab Americans 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 younger daughter.
Massad Boulos has taken on the challenge of trying to convince a politically influential communityangryat President Joe Biden that Trump is a better option. But many Arab Americans also note Trump has positioned himself as more pro-Israel than Biden and has made a series of comments and policy announcements that critics blast as Islamophobic.
Trump has long putfamily membersandtheir relativesin key roles in his campaigns and the White House. Boulos, whose son Michael married Tiffany Trump two years ago, is the latest relative to rise in Trump's political orbit as he uses long-standing connections in an effort to build support for the presumptive Republican nominee's 2024 campaign.
Some Trump allies think they can capitalize on dissension within Biden's Democratic base over his support for theIsraeli offensive in Gaza, where more than 37,000 people have died since Hamas' Oct. 7, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory who do not give the breakdown of civilians and fighters. Biden faced asignificant protest voteduring the Michigan primary February in areas with high numbers of Arab Americans, who are an important Democratic bloc.
“Obviously the No. 1 point that is of high priority within the Arab American community is the current war in the Middle East,” Boulos said in an interview. “And the question is, who can bring peace and who is bringing war? And they know the answer to that.”
Several of the people who have met with Boulos also point to Trump's statements about Arabs and Muslims. While president, Trumpbanned immigrationfrom several majority-Muslim countries and questioned theloyalty of Muslim lawmakersserving in Congress. Now, as he campaigns for a second term after losing in 2020, Trump has at times criticized Biden for being insufficiently supportive of Israel and hasthreatened to deportpro-Palestinian protesters he labels as supporters of Hamas.
“I told Massad, ‘This isn’t about you being Lebanese and me being Lebanese,’” said Osama Siblani, a publisher of the Arab American News in Dearborn. “You can’t just buy votes. You have to give something substantial to the community. And Trump hasn’t done that yet.”
Boulos, who is of medium stature with graying black hair, square glasses, and a warm, friendly smile, is often complimented for his calm demeanor and humility — qualities not always associated with someone overseeing a billion-dollar conglomerate.
Born in Lebanon, Boulos moved to Texas shortly before attending the University of Houston and obtaining a doctor of jurisprudence degree. Boulos said he actively participated in Republican politics as a student.
After graduating, he eventually joined his family's business of three generations and became the managing director and CEO of the conglomerate SCOA Nigeria, which specializes in the assembly and distribution of motor vehicles and equipment.
Boulos has a background in politics in his home country, having run unsuccessfully for a parliamentary seat in Lebanon in 2009. He describes himself as a “friend” ofSleiman Frangieh, a Christian politician allied with the Shiite party and the militant group Hezbollah. Frangieh is currently Hezbollah’s endorsed candidate for Lebanon’s presidential vacancy.
A supporter of Trump from afar since his first campaign, Boulos became more directly involved after meeting Trump at a White House Christmas party in 2019. At the time, Michael Boulos was dating Tiffany Trump.
Massad Boulos has given no recent donations, according to campaign finance records. But in a trip to Michigan this month, he attended what he described as a “private fundraising event” with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and about 50 Arab Americans.
Boulos assisted with the 2020 campaign, but his role has significantly expanded since his son married Tiffany Trump in 2022, especially as Arab American dissatisfaction with Biden presented what Trump allies think is a larger political opportunity.
“One less vote for Biden is a vote for Trump,” said Bishara Bahbah, chairman of the group Arab Americans for Trump.
Boulos maintains a “very close working relationship” with the group, Bahbah said.
The group, which says it is independent of the Trump campaign, has established operations in Michigan and Arizona, states identified as priority areas by “people close to Trump,” Bahbah said.
A Maymeeting heldin Troy, Michigan, included Massad and Michael Boulos as well as Richard Grenell, who was Trump’s ambassador to Germany and is a key foreign policy adviser to the former president. Approximately 40 Arab American activists from across the country attended.
While Arab Americans for Trump was involved in the event, Boulos said that it had primarily been initiated by Grenell. The gathering received mixed feedback, with some attendees saying it lacked substance and failed to address their concerns regarding Trump.
“Grenell didn’t say what they would do, but he kept reminding us that when Trump was president, there was no war whatsoever and that he launched the biggest peace effort in the Middle East. But most Arabs and Muslims don’t consider theAbraham Accordsa peace agreement," said Khaled Saffuri, an Arab American political activist who was in attendance.
Grenell tried to call Trump to have him address attendees by phone, according to multiple people at the meeting. The former president did not answer.
Grenell and the Trump campaign declined to comment.
Just over a week later, Boulos returned for another round of engagements. This time, he had several meetings with nearly 50 members of the Arab American community, alongside one-on-one sessions with individuals identified as “high-target” leaders by Mike Hacham, the coordinator for Arab Americans for Trump in Michigan.
Boulos said his efforts so far have been “more of a personal effort to reconnect with friends.” He said he typically begins meetings by speaking for close to 20 minutes, laying out the records of the Biden and Trump presidencies. He then opens the floor for any questions.
Siblani had a nearly two-hour meeting with Boulos, who was accompanied by Bahbah, the chair of Arab Americans for Trump.
According to Siblani, Boulos argued that things were better for Arab Americans under Trump and that the world saw less conflict and fewer wars during his presidency, suggesting Trump could help resolve the Gaza conflict.
But when Siblani pushed back, he said that Boulos lacked “facts to prove his claim that Trump is better.”
“Massad is unable to convince people to come to Trump's side because he hasn't offered anything substantial to the community, except that his son is married to Trump’s daughter and he has access,” Siblani said. “That is fine, but what we need is policy and what Trump will do."
In interviews, Boulos said that Trump “respects and admires” the Arab American community. He denied the existence of a “Muslim ban,” which is how many Trump opponents refer to his ban on immigrants from several majority-Muslim countries. Boulos argued it was actually “extreme vetting from certain parts of the world."
The key messages arising from these meetings, Boulos said, are communicated to Trump. Boulos highlighted a recent social media post from Trump that promised to bring “peace in the Middle East” if reelected, as evidence. Boulos asserted that the timing of the post “wasn’t a coincidence” but rather a response to “listening to the community’s concerns.”
Trump’s statement, posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on June 4, did not go far enough for multiple community leaders who met with Boulos.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Brian Hughes said the campaign is "grateful that supporters of President Trump are working to communicate with this community."
“We share the belief that Biden’s failed Middle East policies have brought death, chaos and war to the region. That failure led tens of thousands of Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ in Michigan’s Presidential primary. The Trump campaign has and will continue to communicate to those voters and remind them that President Trump’s policies in the Middle East brought that region historic levels of peace and stability," Hughes said.
Some in the community still feel that there are other options than just Trump and Biden. Green Party candidate Jill Stein visited Dearborn this year to meet with leaders and recently had conversations with the city’s mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, about the possibility of him becoming her running mate.
Hammoud, at 34 years old, is ineligible to serve as vice president. The U.S. Constitution requires both the president and vice president to be at least 35.
Officials in Biden’s administration have also visited Dearborn to meet with local leaders and havemaintained ongoingcontact with them, including Siblani.
Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign, criticized Trump allies' outreach, saying in a statement that Trump “is the biggest threat to the Muslim and Arab community.”
“He and his allies believe we don't belong in this country and Trump is openly speaking about allowing Israel to bomb Gaza without regard,” said Moussa, who is Arab American. "Trump and his campaign are racists and Islamophobes. Period. President Biden, on the other hand, is working tirelessly towards a just and lasting peace.”
Until the November election, Boulos said he will continue to divide his time between managing his company and meeting with the Arab American community.
He stressed that he is solely driven by being a “concerned citizen and a Republican.” He has not contemplated a role in Trump's administration if the Republican were to win.
“I honestly don’t have any thoughts about that at this time. I didn’t give this any thought whatsoever, but definitely I do not aspire for anything,” he said.
