Donald Trump and Mayor Amer Ghalib during the 2024 campaign.
Democrat Amer Ghalib, a native of Yemen, was elected mayor of Hamtramck in November 2021. In a short time, he found himself surrounded by controversy that garnered national attention.
In 2023, he supported a controversial city council resolution banning the display of the Gay Pride flag on city property. As he faced criticism for that decision, he gravitated toward conservative Republicans who shared his socially conservative positions -- views critics considered bigoted.
In 2024, he distanced himself even further from the Democratic Party and endorsed Republican Donald Trump for president. Recently, he defended his support of Trump on social media, despite acknowledging that he opposed the president’s plan to evict Palestinians from Gaza.
Last Friday, Trump announced he was naming Ghalib the new U.S. ambassador to Kuwait, a position that will require Senate confirmation.
Khalil AlHajal, deputy editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press, does not hide his disdain for Ghalib in a column in which he writes:
A Muslim immigrant from Yemen who became the first non-Polish mayor in the history of Hamtramck, Ghalib could have been an inspiring figure to local Arab Americans—someone who challenged stereotypes, rose to a prominent leadership position, and served with honor.
Instead, he became an embarrassing symbol of homophobia, quid pro quo politics, and blind Trump worship.
He concludes the column by saying: Good riddance.
To read the full column click here.
Also read Washington Post story on the mayor and gay pride flag by Deadline Detroit's Allan Lengel
