Trump's 'unusual' choice

For two consecutive days, US President-elect Donald Trump announced the selection of two prospective fathers-in-law for several key positions in his upcoming administration.

US President-elect Donald Trump on December 1st selected Lebanese-born billionaire Massad Boulos as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, according to CNN. "Massad Boulos is a businessman and a staunch advocate for peace in the Middle East. He will be a strong supporter of the United States and American interests, and I am pleased to have him on our team," Trump said in a statement on the social media platform Truth Social.

In the announcement, Mr. Trump did not mention his family relationship with Mr. Boulos. Mr. Boulos is the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, Mr. Trump's daughter, and has been heavily involved in Mr. Trump's campaign in Muslim-majority American communities in "battleground" states.

This is the second time President-elect Trump has chosen a relative by marriage for an important position in his upcoming administration. On November 30, Trump nominated his father-in-law, Charles Kushner, as the US Ambassador to France. Kushner is the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump, another of Trump's daughters.

Massad Boulos (left) , Donald Trump (center) , and Charles Kushner

According to CNN, President Trump's choice of his two fathers-in-law to hold important positions in the upcoming US administration is "unusual," suggesting he will continue the precedent of relying on family members in his second term. From 2017 to 2021, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, served as senior advisors at the White House, offering input on a wide range of issues.

Jared Kushner was among the chief negotiators of the Abraham Accords, a treaty normalizing relations between Israel and the UAE. He is expected to continue advising President-elect Trump on Middle Eastern issues from outside the White House. Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump has stated that she has no intention of returning to the White House in any official capacity.

What did Biden say when he pardoned his son?

The appointments raise questions about the influence and power of those connected to the Trump family within the US government , according to CNN. The American broadcaster suggests that Jared Kushner's planned continued advisory role on Middle East issues will come with a new layer of complexity. This is because shortly after leaving the White House in 2021, he established an investment fund with significant support from sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf region, and in recent years, his fund has received $2 billion from the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.

President Biden unexpectedly pardoned his son.

With less than two months to leave office, US President Joe Biden announced on December 1st that he had pardoned his son, Hunter Biden. According to CNN, this decision contradicts President Biden's previous commitment not to pardon Hunter.

Earlier in June, Hunter was convicted by a federal jury in Delaware of making false statements about illegal drug use when purchasing a gun in 2018. In September, Hunter also pleaded guilty to nine charges related to federal taxes. Following Hunter's pardon, judges overseeing his cases may cancel sentencing hearings, which were scheduled for December 12 for the gun charges and December 16 for the tax charges.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/su-lua-chon-khac-thuong-cua-ong-trump-185241202221720775.htm