What did Donald Trump do today?

He gave his son-in-law's father a government job for the second day in a row.

Trump said today that he would be appointing Massad Boulos, the father of his daughter Tiffany's husband, as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. This came less than a day after he announced that his other daughter's father-in-law would be appointed Ambassador to France.

Trump's announcement did not mention the family relationship.

Unlike Charles Kushner, Boulos is not a convicted felon, nor did he ever send a sex tape of his brother-in-law to his own sister. He is, however, a billionaire with private business interests in the Middle East—or, as Trump put it, a "dealmaker" whose deals will now be influenced by his formal role in government. 

Boulos has no diplomatic, military, or national security background, such as would be typical for presidential advisors. He does have some past political affiliations with Hezbollah but, as Middle East expert Aron Lund puts it, he is "more readily understood in light of the personalities orbiting Mar-a-Lago than …in terms of U.S. national interest."

Why does this matter?

• Nepotism is bad because it makes government worse.

• The president is supposed to serve the American people, not make his family richer and more powerful.

• The best person for the job isn't just the richest one you know.