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demmiblue

(40,075 posts)
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 08:36 AM Thursday

Marco Rubio on why Trump's son in law, Michael Boulos, who has no government role, was in his official meetings in...

Marco Rubio on why Trump's son in law, Michael Boulos, who has no government role, was in his official meetings in Kuwait: "He was just here because his brother lives here and I'm a good friend of Michael's, so we had a chance to catch up"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-25T12:21:44.828Z

What is Tiffany Trump's husband sitting next to the U.S. Secretary of State in a meeting with the leader of the UAE in Abu Dhabi?
Michael Boulos, a businessman, has no government role other than being the president's son-in-law (which is not a government role)

Frida Ghitis (@fridaghitis.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T12:16:24.027Z
20 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Marco Rubio on why Trump's son in law, Michael Boulos, who has no government role, was in his official meetings in... (Original Post) demmiblue Thursday OP
Correct answer is ... he wants a cut of the action. IcyPeas Thursday #1
Ding Ding Ding johnnyfins Thursday #4
Just another slice of the pie. patphil Thursday #17
Rubio - "unfortunately my integrity, spine and patriotism got caught in traffic and missed the meeting." NoMoreRepugs Thursday #2
He never had any of those. LuvLoogie Thursday #12
I guess my f*cks-to-give got caught in traffic also Seinan Sensei Thursday #15
Just underlines the recklessness and unserious nature of this maladministration. Diamond_Dog Thursday #3
Here's the answer for us peons malaise Thursday #5
Michael Boulos is a multi-millionaire, his father, the "shadowy" Massad Boulos, is a billionaire (by his own account). sop Thursday #6
Massad Boulos works for Marco, so maybe his son Michael is getting the cook's tour FakeNoose Thursday #16
Why didn't the bring "Vito Boombutz" the pool guy....he knows how to get a deal. Historic NY Thursday #7
... Prairie Gates Thursday #9
You never know when a yacht would help smooth the diplomacy muriel_volestrangler Thursday #8
They're so unprofessional. Baitball Blogger Thursday #10
Trump admin and families are crooked to the bone. oasis Thursday #11
It's all about normalizing the idea of a dynasty nuxvomica Thursday #13
Marcos was just surprised when Boulus kairos12 Thursday #14
MaddowBlog-Rubio tries to explain why he brought Tiffany Trump's husband to an official meeting LetMyPeopleVote Thursday #18
SIL SZN LessAspin Thursday #19
Why the fuck was Tiffany Trump's husband, Michael Boulos sitting next to Marco Rubio during a high level meeting LetMyPeopleVote 21 hrs ago #20

NoMoreRepugs

(12,326 posts)
2. Rubio - "unfortunately my integrity, spine and patriotism got caught in traffic and missed the meeting."
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 08:40 AM
Thursday

sop

(19,880 posts)
6. Michael Boulos is a multi-millionaire, his father, the "shadowy" Massad Boulos, is a billionaire (by his own account).
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 08:56 AM
Thursday

Trump's SiL was there representing his father, hoping to further cash in on his family connections.

FakeNoose

(43,048 posts)
16. Massad Boulos works for Marco, so maybe his son Michael is getting the cook's tour
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 10:58 AM
Thursday

Maybe Marco thinks it's better to make up some story about how they're friends, and he happened to be in town? I don't know.



Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massad_Boulos

muriel_volestrangler

(106,860 posts)
8. You never know when a yacht would help smooth the diplomacy
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 09:33 AM
Thursday
Career
Boulos worked for his cousin, Jimmy Frangi,[23] in international yacht brokerage.[24]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Boulos

That's his entire career (publicly acknowledged, anyway; that doesn't mean that money hasn't passed through his hands for other reasons).

nuxvomica

(14,384 posts)
13. It's all about normalizing the idea of a dynasty
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 10:45 AM
Thursday

This will all reach a climax in a scene like this in the Reflecting Pool:

LetMyPeopleVote

(183,986 posts)
18. MaddowBlog-Rubio tries to explain why he brought Tiffany Trump's husband to an official meeting
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 08:47 PM
Thursday

The secretary of state didn’t just hang out with an old pal. He brought a Trump-aligned businessman to a meeting with the president of a Middle Eastern country.

Rough day for an ethically challenged Cabinet, Part II:

Marco Rubio brought a private businessman — a Trump son-in-law — to a foreign meeting with the president of a Middle Eastern country.

The secretary of state offered an explanation, which was a lot less persuasive than he seemed to realize.

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-25T20:31:30.926Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/tiffany-trump-husband-meeting-abu-dhabi-rubio

The New York Times, however, reported on a detail from one of those meetings that stood out. From the article:

Mr. Rubio began his travels on Wednesday by meeting with the Emirati leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, in Abu Dhabi. The two spoke about Iran and commerce between the United States and the Emirates, the State Department said in a summary. Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Michael Boulos, a businessman with no official government position, sat beside Mr. Rubio at the meeting.

“He was just there to see me and catch up,” Mr. Rubio said. When asked whether Mr. Boulos was involved in policy discussions, the secretary said, “No, no.


The secretary apparently wasn’t embarrassed by any of this: Rubio posted a photograph via social media showing him meeting with the United Arab Emirate’s president, with Donald Trump’s son-in-law seated just to Rubio’s right.




.....Boulos, who’s married to Tiffany Trump, gained public attention last summer when the Times reported on the businessman and his family benefiting financially from his proximity to the Trump family. Though Boulos denied ever having done anything wrong, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee soon after launched an investigation into him. (Boulos holds no official role in the U.S. government, though he is a trustee of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation.)

Ten months later, Rubio apparently thought it would be a good idea to bring Boulos along to a meeting with the president of the UAE, seating him directly next to the secretary of state.

Marco Rubio on why Trump's son in law, Michael Boulos, who has no government role, was in his official meetings in Kuwait: "He was just here because his brother lives here and I'm a good friend of Michael's, so we had a chance to catch up"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-25T12:21:44.828Z


Asked about Boulos’ role, Rubio specifically told reporters, “He was just here because his brother lives here, and I’m a good friend of Michael’s, so we had a chance to catch up.”

That might sound benign, but the circumstances were, at a minimum, curious. No one would have blinked an eye about the secretary catching up with a good friend during an overseas trip, but Rubio didn’t just hang out with an old pal. He brought a private businessman and Trump relative to a foreign meeting while seated across from the president of a Middle Eastern country.

LessAspin

(2,119 posts)
19. SIL SZN
Thu Jun 25, 2026, 09:26 PM
Thursday

Trump has some really talented sons-in-law

Mark Campbell (@msusoupy.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T13:53:02.575Z


Back in the 60s, there was this sitcom starring the great Eve Arden. Someone with talent should get info on this newest son in law playing “diplomacy” and make a meme with him and Jared

Mark (@santorinidreaming.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T12:36:45.535Z

LetMyPeopleVote

(183,986 posts)
20. Why the fuck was Tiffany Trump's husband, Michael Boulos sitting next to Marco Rubio during a high level meeting
Fri Jun 26, 2026, 12:38 PM
21 hrs ago
Why the fuck was Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Boulos, a private citizen with no role in the Trump admin who has significant financial ties to the Middle East, sitting next to Marco Rubio during a high level meeting with UAE to discuss the Iran MOU.


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