Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib, an Arab-American Democrat, has thrown his support behind former President Donald Trump, shaking the political establishment.
Ghalib met with Trump on Tuesday in Flint during a private 20-minute meeting before Trump’s town hall in Flint, Michigan, where the former president reportedly asked for the Muslim mayor’s official endorsement.
“He knew a lot about me before the meeting,” Ghalib said Wednesday in a text message to The Detroit News.
“We talked about various topics including the debates, the polls updates, the statistics of votes in Michigan and Wayne County, the Arab American concerns and the Yemeni Americans in particular. We also talked about the situation in Yemen,” Ghalib added.
The mayor, who immigrated from Yemen and made history by ousting the long-time Democrat incumbent in 2021, represents a significant portion of Hamtramck’s population—over 40% of which is foreign-born.
“He asked me if I can endorse him and ask people to vote for him? I told him: ‘I’m here to talk about that and how we can make it happen,’” Ghalib said. “I then handed him an official letter with some details about our concerns and to invite him to come to Hamtramck if possible.”
Five days after their meeting, Ghalib officially endorsed Trump in a Sunday Facebook post, where he expressed his clear support.
He wrote:
“Let me be clear, so our expectations are realistic.
President Trump and I may not agree on everything, but I know he is a man of principles.
Though it’s looking good, he may or may not win the election and be the 47th president of the United States, but I believe he is the right choice for this critical time. I’ll not regret my decision no matter what the outcome would be, and I’m ready to face the consequences.
For this, and for many other reasons, I announce my support and endorsement for the former, and hopefully, the next president of the United States, Donald Trump.Now, let the Caravan begin its journey. This is just the starting point.”
Trump immediately reposted his endorsement.
President Trump proudly announces the endorsement he just received from Hamtramck, Michigan Mayor Ameer Ghalib.
Hamtramck is the only Muslim-majority city in the United States! pic.twitter.com/s828ojexPC
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 22, 2024
