Rubio explains Trump son-in-law Michael Boulos' presence at UAE meeting: 'Just there to see me'
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" pic.twitter.com/YsSGoomMe3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 25, 2026
WASHINGTON, DC: Marco Rubio was forced to explain why Donald Trump’s son-in-law tagged along to a high-level meeting with foreign officials during his overseas trip to the Middle East.
Michael Boulos, the husband of the president’s daughter, Tiffany Trump, was photographed smiling alongside Rubio during a working meeting with officials in the United Arab Emirates, including the country’s leader, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Boulos, a businessman with no formal government position, is the son of Massad Boulos, one of the Trump administration's senior advisers on Middle East affairs.
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
Marco Rubio confronted over Boulos’ presence at meeting
The 55-year-old Secretary of State was speaking to reporters on Thursday, June 25, in Kuwait when he was confronted over Boulos' presence at the UAE diplomatic meeting
“Mike was just, uh, Michael Boulos? Oh, he was there to see his brother, who lives here. He was just there to see me and catch up,” he replied.
Another reporter followed up and asked whether the meeting was a working lunch.
"There was, but he wasn't. The conversations around him had to do with – 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," Rubio said, before thanking reporters and taking his leave.
Boulos married Tiffany, the president’s daughter from his second wife, Marla Maples, in 2022.
The Lebanese-American businessman had proposed to her in the White House Rose Garden in January 2021, and the couple welcomed their first child last year.
Rubio rejects internal tension with Vance
The questions surrounding Boulos’ presence weren’t the only controversy Rubio cleared during his Middle Eastern trip. The Secretary also rejected suggestions that he and Vice President JD Vance are at odds over Middle East policy.
The issue surfaced as reporters pressed Rubio about speculation that differing public comments from administration officials on the Israel-Lebanon conflict could point to growing internal disagreements.
Rather than entertaining speculation about the rift within the administration, Rubio mounted a robust defense of the Trump team's unity, insisting there was no internal power struggle.
"We have no drama, we have no games," the secretary said, rejecting suggestions of discord.
Rubio stressed that while senior officials routinely offer advice and debate policy behind closed doors, the final word always comes from the President. Once he announced the verdict, he said, the entire administration fell in line.
"Everyone here is aligned behind the president of the United States, every single one of us," Rubio said, emphasizing that the president alone sets US foreign policy and that officials are responsible for executing his decisions.
