Tiffany Trump’s Mediterranean Yacht Trip Raises Questions Amid Father-in-Law’s Oil Diplomacy

Further investigations reveal how Tiffany Trump’s social media activity provided crucial clues, leading reporters to uncover her vacation aboard an oil magnate’s superyacht.

Massad Boulos spearheads the Trump administration’s diplomatic approach in Africa, which notably favors securing business deals over fostering international goodwill or promoting democracy. The sight of his son and Ms. Trump vacationing on a yacht owned by global billionaire executives underscores the complex and often indistinguishable boundary between governmental objectives and the Trump family’s personal interests.

This ‘freewheeling diplomacy’ conducted by Mr. Boulos in regions like Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised eyebrows among career diplomats, U.S. allies, and even some within Mr. Trump’s inner circle.

American government officials report that his actions have led to diplomatic tensions in sensitive global areas. Senior officials have reportedly advised him to respect established protocols and avoid the appearance of intertwining family business with official diplomatic duties, especially given Michael Boulos’s reported pursuit of business ventures in Africa.

Despite holding no public office, Michael Boulos and Tiffany Trump boarded Air Force One just weeks after their yacht trip, joining the president on a state visit to Britain. They were seen among American dignitaries at Windsor Castle, with Michael Boulos even attending the state dinner alongside Catherine, Princess of Wales.

While it may not be explicitly illegal for a diplomat’s family, or even the president’s, to vacation on yachts owned by individuals who could benefit from U.S. foreign policy, this situation draws parallels to past criticisms. Mr. Trump, while out of office, frequently criticized Hunter Biden for leveraging his access to power for personal gain. Yet, upon his return to the presidency, Mr. Trump, his family, and the children of key advisors reportedly engaged in business dealings with foreign entities that were directly involved in American diplomatic discussions.

Massad Boulos refused to comment on the yacht trip. A spokesperson for Michael Boulos and Tiffany Trump dismissed inquiries, characterizing their time aboard as a ‘personal and private vacation’.

A BGN spokeswoman stated that Ms. Bayegan was not present on the Phoenix 2 during that period, leaving the precise host of the Boulos-Trump family’s visit uncertain. ‘Questions regarding individuals who may have been aboard the yacht Phoenix 2 are unrelated to BGN’s business activities in Libya,’ remarked spokeswoman Sharon McKoy.

The State Department declined to confirm if senior officials were aware of the yacht trip, instead releasing statements from American diplomats commending Massad Boulos’s work in Africa. Mr. Boulos, for his part, avoided discussing the Mediterranean vacation, reiterating his commitment to fostering peace and prosperity across Africa.

Despite his background as a diplomatic newcomer, having previously managed a family-owned Nigerian trucking company, Trump administration officials have publicly lauded Mr. Boulos. Secretary of State Marco Rubio even hailed him as a ‘superstar’ for his role in brokering a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This report is compiled from interviews with numerous Trump administration officials, diplomats, foreign government representatives, and business leaders who have worked closely with Massad Boulos since his appointment. The majority spoke anonymously, citing concerns about potential repercussions from Mr. Trump.

Mr. Boulos occupies an unusual position within the Trump administration. His reporting structure remains ambiguous, he holds roles in both the State Department and the White House, he was not subject to Senate confirmation, and he is not required to publicly disclose his personal business holdings.

Officials from both the White House and State Department, who would typically oversee such diplomatic activities, find themselves in a delicate situation. They reportedly exercise extreme caution, wary of challenging a man now closely aligned with the president’s family.

Mr. Boulos denied any disputes regarding his diplomatic efforts, asserting that the United States presented a unified front and that his engagements with foreign officials were ‘productive, successful, and met with genuine appreciation’.

Early Challenges Mark His Diplomatic Role

From his initial months in government, concerns about Mr. Boulos’s conduct emerged. As the president’s Middle East adviser, he reportedly bypassed standard diplomatic procedures, holding unauthorized meetings and calls with Lebanese officials, and actively promoting his preferred candidates for key roles within the Lebanese central bank and finance ministry.

In an unusual move, State Department diplomats had to directly request that Lebanese officials channel their diplomatic communications through the American Embassy, rather than through Mr. Boulos, as confirmed by two senior officials.

This past summer, Moroccan officials contacted the White House after Mr. Boulos sought an audience with their king. Unsure of Mr. Boulos’s intentions and seeing no official need for such a meeting, American officials discreetly advised the Moroccans to decline his request.

This incident followed a widely reported gaffe in the region, where Mr. Boulos inadvertently implied that Mr. Trump’s meticulously negotiated agreement, which led to Morocco normalizing relations with Israel, was unexpectedly subject to renegotiation.

Mr. Boulos maintained that his remarks on Morocco were misunderstood and denied improperly seeking a meeting with the king, stating, ‘I have and will continue to engage officials at the most senior levels.’

Mr. Boulos’s foray into diplomacy represents another chapter in a career where his official titles have often not aligned with his actual professional background.

For many years, he was widely referred to as a billionaire, despite a lack of evidence supporting such claims. State Department staff call him ‘Dr. Boulos,’ though he holds neither a medical doctorate nor a Ph.D. (He possesses a law degree, but in his native Nigeria, lawyers are generally not addressed as ‘doctor’).

After serving briefly as Mr. Trump’s Middle East adviser, he transitioned to the role of the State Department’s senior adviser for Africa, publicly maintaining that he holds both positions.

The Rwanda-Congo agreement stands as Mr. Boulos’s most highly-praised diplomatic achievement.

Rwanda-backed forces had seized Congolese territory, gaining control of valuable mines, a conflict that resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands.

Mr. Trump credited Mr. Boulos as being instrumental in brokering an end to the conflict.

A crucial aspect of the peace initiative involved a mining agreement in Congo’s Rubaya region. This deal proposed that an American company would formalize and industrialize mining operations, enabling Rwanda and Congo to share the profits instead of clashing over resources. For the United States, this meant limiting China’s access to vital rare-earth minerals.