From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 25, 2026
Rubio says he invited Trump’s son-in-law to meeting with UAE president because it was ‘chance to catch up’ with a ‘good friend’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defends his decision to include President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Michael Boulos, who is a private citizen and businessman, in a meeting yesterday alongside senior US diplomats with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed.
“He was just here because his brother lives here, and I’m a good friend of Michael, so we had a chance to catch up,” Rubio tells reporters in Kuwait, without explaining why his friendship with Boulos warranted a seat for the latter at a high-level government meeting, which sparked questions of potential conflicts of interest.
Boulos’s father, Massad, is Trump’s senior adviser on African affairs and is reportedly vying for ambassadorship in the UAE.
Met with UAE’s President @MohamedBinZayed in Abu Dhabi, where we discussed President Trump’s MOU with Iran, efforts to secure full and safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and regional stability. I thanked the UAE leadership for their unparalleled support, praised their… pic.twitter.com/J3u6bAKR2W
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 24, 2026
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