In recent weeks, Massad Boulos, the Lebanese-American businessman and senior adviser on Middle East and Africa policy in the Trump administration, has been at the center of media scrutiny.
Politico published a detailed report suggesting that Boulos had been sidelined within the administration, citing incidents such as the abrupt cancellation of his official trip to Africa and questioning the clarity of his role and authority.
According to Politico
Boulos arrived at Joint Base Andrews in early April, prepared to embark on his first official diplomatic mission to Africa. However, the journey was halted when the U.S. military aircraft designated for the trip did not depart. Later that day, Boulos reportedly received a call from Susie Wiles, Trump’s Chief of Staff, informing him that he was not authorized to use a government plane and instructing him to cancel the Angola leg of his visit, advising him to proceed via commercial flight to the next destination the following day. This incident was interpreted by some as indicative of internal tensions and a possible diminishment of Boulos’s influence within the administration.
In response to these claims
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly defended Boulos’s role and contributions. In a tweet, Rubio stated:
“Politico published another false story. America is lucky to have someone with Mr. Boulos’s experience at the State Department. The story they should have covered is the recent agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which would not have been possible without Mr. Boulos’s leadership.”
