Mayor’s Senate hearing hit serious snags

Mayor Amer Ghalib

By Charles Sercombe
Mayor Amer Ghalib’s past actions, and comments on social media, may have undermined his chance to be confirmed as the next ambassador to Kuwait.
As of this past Tuesday, it appears he lacks a majority support to get his nomination out of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and on to final Senate approval.
His confirmation hearing last Thursday with the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hit a storm of resistance from the get-go, when ranking committee member Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, introduced all four ambassador nominees, including Ghalib.
But Shaheen singled out Ghalib in her introductions by saying:
“I am very concerned about some of the statements that you have made — and, frankly, what appear to be antisemitic views.”
During the next 40 minutes, Ghalib, who was nominated by President Trump seven months ago, faced a barrage of questions from both Democratic and Republic senators about his past comments.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was particularly cutting, and pressured Ghalib to explain why he called former Iraq leader Saddam Hussain a “martyr.”
It took Ghalib a few tries to clarify why he said that, finally saying: “”In a moment of anger, I complimented Saddam because he kept Iran in check, and he — probably that’s the only positive thing he did in his life.”
He continued: “No question, he was a dictator. He committed a lot of crimes, including the invasion of Kuwait. And if that description in a moment of anger offended anybody, I’m willing to apologize, especially to the Kuwaiti people. I’m not very adamant about it.”
Cruz also took issue with Ghalib “liking” a comment on social media that compared Jews to “monkeys.”
Ghalib did not deny that he “liked” the comment, but said he had a “bad habit” of liking comments as a way of “acknowledging” that he received them.
“I don’t agree with it, senator,” Ghalib said. “Clicking on it doesn’t mean I endorse it.”
Cruz wasn’t buying that explanation, saying: “Well, actually, it means exactly that.”
Finally, Cruz said he won’t vote for Ghalib to be ambassador, saying:
“For the record, your long-standing public positions are directly contrary to President Trump’s, and I will not be supporting your nomination.”
Ghalib also came under fire over the city council’s resolution to adopt a policy directed at Israel called “Boycott, Divest, Sanctions” (BDS) which is a movement that promotes American institutions and businesses halting investments that support Israel as a way to protest Israel’s continued bombing and war-making in Gaza.
Ghalib said he did not vote on the issue, and after repeated questioning said he does not support it.
But that’s in direct contrast to what he said a year ago when the council approved the resolution. At that time, he thanked the council and those who had crafted the resolution.
At the May 28, 2024 council meeting, he even said he had a hand in forming the resolution, saying:
“Thanks to the team who worked on this resolution. We had to edit it, and modify it to be as clear and legal as possible after consulting with our attorney and other attorneys as well. So, thank you for working so hard to support the Palestinian people.”
Ghalib went on to say that the American government “does not listen to the concern of the people. It seems like we are ruled by a minority in this country, and that’s a problem. The voice of the people is not being heard.”
Ghalib also lashed out at “neighboring countries” near Israel, saying that they too “are involved to support Israelis.”
At one point in the confirmation hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy (D- Connecticut) summed up Ghalib’s chances of being confirmed by saying: “You dug your hole deeper today.”
Since that hearing press reports say it’s unlikely Ghalib will be confirmed.
Ghalib told The Review: “Whether they confirm me or not, it would be an honor for me either way. I’m happy to answer the call and serve our community and our country from anywhere the president or the community asked me to. This is just the beginning of my journey.”
On his Facebook page, Ghalib said President Trump called him after the hearing while he was on a plane, in the economy section, to come home and that “I felt his loyalty, sincerity, and unwavering support. We agreed that my public service will continue, and that I will keep serving this great nation with his encouragement and the trust of my community.”
Ghalib also said he was frustrated with the hearing because he was “offered no opportunity to discuss my knowledge of Kuwait or my plans for strengthening U.S.-Kuwaiti relations.”
His confirmation hearing caught the attention of numerous national media outlets including, locally, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News.
As usual, comments on social media were all over the map. Ghalib’s supporters insisted that the hearing went well for Ghalib, and they are confident he will be confirmed.
Others wondered why it appeared Ghalib seemed so ill-prepared for the tough questioning.
Loubna Mrie said Ghalib’s performance was “shockingly bad. His inability to give clear answers made him seem completely unprepared to be a mayor, let alone an ambassador.”

But Abdul Q Obeid, who says he is a resident physician at Henry Ford Health at St. John Hospital, said the odds were against Ghalib, adding “Those senators accepted money from AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee),and place America second after Israel.”
Posted Oct. 31, 2025