A page on Facebook, titled ‘Friends of Donald J. Trump in Lebanon’, has been gathering momentum, and fast. It has already garnered over 72,000 followers and with one unique mission – to “make the Middle East great again.”

“We aspire that the new American administration will partner with the moderate forces in the region, the youth, the women and the minorities in their quest. First, to defeat ISIS and other extremists groups, and second, to limit the negative influence of Iran and its meddling in Arab affairs,” the group’s advisor, Joy Lahoud, told Al Arabiya English.

Followers have been posting an array of items on the page, from memes pointing fun at former democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to schedules and timings of President Trump’s speeches and addresses.

Those associated with the mission call themselves firm believers of the new US administration, regardless of President Trump’s campaign and implementation of curbs related to migrant Muslims and Arabs.

“Donald J. Trump has many close friends who are Lebanese and Arabs. They go back to the days before he became a presidential candidate,” Lahoud, who is a lawyer, said.

According to Lahoud, Trump’s visit to Egypt, the largest Arab Muslim country, and his meetings with several leaders of the Muslim world prove his willingness to reach out to Muslims.

This is what has apparently impressed Lahoud and several other supporters such as Walid Phares, a Lebanese-American, who is advisor to the president on terrorism and the Middle East.

“The Trump administration can safeguard us in the face of intervention into our affairs, specially the Iranian heavy handedness on our security and political discourse,” the lawyer said.

Speaking on the subject in November, Walid Phares had said that Trump has maintained a very strict position on Iran, even planning to end the nuclear deal and discuss it in the Congress before resubmitting it to EU partners.

Whether the US President chooses to go that way or not, his manner of dealing with this part of the world seems to be getting support and it is definitely visible on social media.

Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:48 - GMT 06:48