Breaking news … Mayor Ghalib makes history by endorsing Trump

Mayor Amer Ghalib poses with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump before Trump spoke at a Flint rally. Photo from Facebook

By Charles Sercombe
The weeks of speculation are over.
Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib is endorsing Republican nominee Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election on Nov. 5.
On Sunday, Ghalib, the first Yemeni-American and Muslim to be elected as mayor in Hamtramck, released his endorsement on his Facebook page.
His endorsement is break from Hamtramck’s decades-long history of being a Democratic stronghold. Ghalib has been flirting with the idea of endorsing Trump for months, and in recent weeks he has met privately with Trump.
Ghalib, a licensed nurse with the state, is endorsing Trump despite Trump’s promise to reinstate a travel ban of people from Muslim majority countries and Palestinian refugees from Gaza.
At a speech recently in Washington D.C., Trump said:
“I will ban refugee resettlement from terror infested areas like the Gaza Strip, and we will seal our border and bring back the travel ban.
“Remember the famous travel ban? We didn’t take people from certain areas of the world. We’re not taking them from infested countries.”
Ghalib and much of the Muslim population in the metro area turned against President Biden for his continued support of supplying military aid to Israel in its war on Gaza.
Trump has been a strong supporter of Israel and recently met privately with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has also said that he will deport illegal immigrants and immigrants who support Hamas, the military arm of Palestinians.
Here is what Ghalib announced:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, 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.”
After Ghalib posted his endorsement on Facebook, Trump reposted it on his Truth Social platform.
Not everyone in Hamtramck is on board with Ghalib’s endorsement of Trump in the Hamtramck Muslim community.
State Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck), who is the Majority Floor Leader, announced on his Facebook page that he is not supporting Trump.
Aiyash, a Yemeni-American, said:
“Donald Trump is not a man of principle, is uniquely unfit to serve as President, and remains a threat for many communities across our country.
“I hope Hamtramck remembers that in November.”
Aiyash, however, has yet to endorse Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris for president.
He recently said that she needs to make a “course correction” on the Biden administration’s support of Israel in its war on Gaza.

Posted Sept. 23, 2024
Updated at 4:22 p.m.