How a stalled ambassador nomination is testing Trump’s Arab American support

Arab American support for Trump frays

When Donald Trump secured his political comeback, he publicly credited the mayor of a small Detroit suburb for helping him break into Michigan’s Arab American vote. As a gesture of appreciation, Trump nominated Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib as the United States ambassador to Kuwait.

That appointment, however, has stalled. Ghalib remains in Hamtramck, a city of about 30,000 people, after his nomination ran into resistance from Republicans in the US Senate, preventing it from advancing.

It remains uncertain whether the White House will resubmit Ghalib’s nomination. Ghalib himself suggested the outcome no longer concerns him. “I’m not interested in it anymore,” he said.

The collapse of the nomination has deepened strains between Republicans and Arab American voters, many of whom backed Trump after becoming disillusioned with Democratic President Joe Biden’s handling of the Gaza war. While Trump returned to the White House in 2024, questions are emerging over whether that support will hold in the 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake.

“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,” said Bishara Bahbah, chair of Arab Americans for Trump.

At Trump’s final campaign rally in Michigan, held just hours before polls opened, the president praised Ghalib on stage, calling him “one of the greatest men in your state”. The moment marked a stark contrast with Trump’s 2016 campaign, which included calls for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

Trump went on to win Michigan and secured strong backing from Arab American voters, including in Dearborn, where nearly half of the city’s roughly 110,000 residents are of Arab descent.

Yet Ghalib’s nomination faced stiff scrutiny on Capitol Hill. During a Senate hearing, Republican Senator Ted Cruz said Ghalib’s views conflicted with the administration’s positions. “Your long-standing views are directly contrary to the views and positions of President Trump and to the position of the United States,” Cruz said. “I for one, I’m not going to be able to support your confirmation.”

Lawmakers from both parties questioned Ghalib over past remarks and social media activity, including posts described as antisemitic. Addressing allegations that he had “liked” a Facebook comment comparing Jewish people to monkeys, Ghalib said he had a “bad habit” of acknowledging responses to his posts but stressed he disagreed with the content.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen questioned Ghalib about comments suggesting that reports of sexual violence during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel were untrue. Ghalib said he condemned all abuses but maintained he had not personally seen evidence. He was also criticised for referring to former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as a martyr.

No vote followed the hearing, but opposition from Republicans effectively doomed the nomination.

Responding to criticism, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement: “President Trump has an incredible relationships with Arab leaders around the world.” She added that he “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 Michigan mayor who supported Trump’s outreach to Arab Americans, Bill Bazzi of Dearborn Heights, was confirmed as US ambassador to Tunisia in October.

Some community leaders say Arab American voices are now being marginalised after being courted during the campaign. Bahbah said a recent visit to Michigan revealed “widespread disappointment”.

“First of all, many of the promises that were made to the community have not been fulfilled. That’s what I’m told,” he said. “Secondly, the whole issue of immigration and visas is really rattling the community. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is rattling the community, even those with citizenships.”

He added that rising living costs have also fuelled anger, saying people feel that “grocery bills are much higher than they used to be.”

Several leaders stressed that Trump’s 2024 gains reflected frustration with Biden rather than enthusiasm for the Republican candidate. Bahbah said a ceasefire agreement linked to Gaza had drawn criticism because it “seems to be a one-sided ceasefire”, while immigration enforcement had heightened fear.

“People are terrorized,” Bahbah said. “They're afraid.”

“This is not what the community voted for,” he added.

Ghalib said he held no resentment towards Trump, describing the president as “loyal and supportive”. But he criticised Republican opponents of his nomination, saying “those who opposed me for nonsense reasons have made the community upset, and they will have to work hard to restore their relationship with the community.”

The episode highlights the fragility of the coalition Trump assembled in 2024, which also included gains among Black and Latino voters. Osama Siblani, editor of The Arab American News in Dearborn, said he does not expect that success to be repeated.

“He has no support in this community with or without Ghalib,” Siblani said.