Amer Ghalib, mayor of Hamtramck, was nominated by President Trump to be ambassador to Kuwait but saw his confirmation stall after bipartisan Senate scrutiny over past remarks and social media activity. The stalled nomination has deepened frustration among Arab American voters who supported Trump in 2024, with community leaders citing unfulfilled promises, aggressive immigration enforcement, and rising costs as sources of disappointment. The episode highlights the fragility of Trump’s expanded coalition and raises questions about Republican prospects in upcoming elections.
Trump’s Stalled Nomination of Arab American Ally Highlights Strains in His 2024 Coalition
FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib listens at a campaign office, Oct. 18, 2024, in Hamtramck, Mich. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Amer Ghalib, the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, was nominated by President Donald Trump to be U.S. ambassador to Kuwait after Ghalib helped the campaign win support among Michigan’s Arab American voters. But Ghalib’s nomination stalled amid bipartisan scrutiny in the Senate, and he remains in Hamtramck after saying he is no longer interested in the post.
Senate Scrutiny and Controversy
At a confirmation hearing last year, senators from both parties pressed Ghalib about past remarks and social media activity that critics described as antisemitic. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) told Ghalib, “Your long-standing views are directly contrary to the views and positions of President Trump and to the position of the United States,” and said he could not support the nomination. Senators also questioned Ghalib about a Facebook interaction in which he acknowledged a comment comparing Jewish people to monkeys; Ghalib called it a "bad habit" of engaging broadly with replies and insisted he disagreed with that comparison.
FILE - Amer Ghalib appears before a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on his pending nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait on Capitol Hill, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) pressed him about a past comment suggesting allegations of sexual violence tied to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel were untrue; Ghalib said he condemned abuse but had not personally seen the evidence. He also faced criticism for describing former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as a "martyr." Though no final vote was held, mounting Republican opposition made confirmation unlikely.
Reaction From the White House and Local Leaders
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly defended the administration’s outreach to Arab American communities, saying President Trump "continues to deliver on the promises he made to Arab Americans and all communities by cooling inflation, securing the border, and restoring peace through strength." Another mayor who aided Trump, Bill Bazzi of Dearborn Heights, was confirmed last October as U.S. ambassador to Tunisia.
FILE - Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questions Amer Ghalib during a Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing on his pending nomination to be U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait on Capitol Hill, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr., File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Community Frustration and Political Implications
Ghalib’s stalled nomination deepened frustration among Arab American voters who helped deliver support for Trump in 2024, particularly in Michigan communities such as Dearborn and Hamtramck. Bishara Bahbah, who chaired Arab Americans for Trump, reported "widespread disappointment" after spending more than a week in Michigan. He cited unfulfilled campaign promises, stricter immigration enforcement by ICE, and rising grocery costs as top concerns. “People are terrorized. They're afraid,” Bahbah said, describing the atmosphere in some communities.
“It’s hard for me to try and convince the community to vote again Republican in 2026 and 2028 with this kind of an atmosphere.”
— Bishara Bahbah, Former Chair, Arab Americans for Trump
Local news editor Osama Siblani of The Arab American News said he does not expect Trump to repeat his 2024 performance among Arab American voters: “He has no support in this community with or without Ghalib.” Political analysts say the episode underscores the fragility of the broader coalition Trump assembled in 2024, which also included gains with some Black and Latino voters. With dissatisfaction rising in pockets of the coalition, maintaining that support through the 2026 and 2028 election cycles may prove difficult.
What’s Next
Ghalib said he holds no personal grudge against the president, calling Trump "loyal and supportive," but added those who opposed his nomination for what he described as “nonsense reasons” have angered the community and will need to rebuild trust. It remains unclear whether the White House will re-submit his nomination. Regardless, the episode has immediate political consequences: it risks alienating an important constituency that gave Trump a surprising boost in 2024 and could affect Republican prospects in upcoming midterm and future elections.
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