Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib’s nomination to become U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait faces significant opposition after a contentious Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday, Oct. 23, where senators from both parties expressed grave concerns about his past statements and social media activity.
Ghalib, who was nominated by President Donald Trump in March 2025, faced intense questioning over his views on Middle Eastern politics, past social media posts, and statements about Israel.
“I for one won’t be able to support your confirmation,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who said Ghalib’s “public positions are markedly in conflict with the views of President Trump and with the positions of the United States.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), the committee’s ranking member, confronted Ghalib about his alleged comments regarding Saddam Hussein.
“You called Saddam Hussein a martyr after Iran fired missiles at American troops in Iraq,” Shaheen said.
Ghalib defended himself, saying he made the post “in a moment of anger” following Iran’s missile strikes against U.S. troops in 2020.
Senators also pressed Ghalib about social media activity, including allegations that he had “liked” a post comparing Jewish people to monkeys.
Ghalib characterized his social media behavior as a “bad habit” of liking all comments on his posts and emphasized that many controversial posts were made as a private citizen.
Ghalib became mayor of Hamtramck in 2021 and tapped for the role after endorsing Trump and campaigning with him in Hamtramck in October 2024.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) expressed strong opposition to the nomination.
“I don’t think you are qualified to serve in this role and I think you have dug your hole deeper today,” Murphy said.
The path forward for Ghalib’s nomination remains uncertain. The committee must first secure a majority vote before the nomination can advance to the full Senate for consideration, a process that could take weeks or months.
The committee has not yet scheduled a vote on Ghalib’s nomination.