(Adnkronos) – At least three Republican senators on the Foreign Relations Committee have announced they are ready to vote against the ratification of Amer Ghalib, the ambassador to Kuwait nominated by Donald Trump. The stance taken by these three senators, to whom a fourth ‘no’ could be added according to today’s Politico report, makes the nomination of the mayor of Hamtramck, a Michigan town whose elected leaders are all Muslim, falter. In September 2024, he gave his endorsement to Trump, in protest against how the Biden-Harris administration was handling the war in Gaza.
During last week’s confirmation hearing, Ghalib was grilled by Democrats and Republicans who showed rare unity in accusing the nominated ambassador of statements considered antisemitic. In particular, Ghalib was challenged on his words denying the rapes of women and minors during Hamas attacks, his description of Saddam Hussein as “a martyr” and the Muslim Brotherhood as a source of “inspiration,” and his support for Houthi attacks on Israel-linked ships.
The mayor was also challenged on the fact that the Hamtramck city council approved a resolution supporting the BDS movement, for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel. Therefore, at the moment, Trump’s nominee would not have the necessary votes to pass the Foreign Relations Committee’s scrutiny, where Republicans can only afford to lose two votes.
