PHILADELPHIA – October 30, 2025 – Members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations are expected to reject Amer Ghalib’s nomination as ambassador to Kuwait following a contentious confirmation hearing in which the nominee refused to take responsibility for his history of bigoted and extreme statements. Facing questions from the committee on October 23, 2025, Ghalib failed to explain his praise for Saddam Hussein and support for antisemitic commentary—statements first revealed in an investigative report from the Middle East Forum (MEF)—demonstrating his unfitness for diplomatic service.
Ghalib, the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, also refused to adequately explain his support for the Muslim Brotherhood and opposition to the Abraham Accords, revealing a fundamental misalignment with Trump administration policies and values.
At least three Republican committee members have made on-the-record statements insisting they would vote against confirming Ghalib, placing his nomination “on a path to failure,” according to the New York Times. The bipartisan opposition reflects senators’ recognition that Ghalib’s dishonesty and radical sympathies are incompatible with representing American interests in Kuwait, a critical Middle Eastern ally.
No administration should be saddled with an ambassador whose beliefs are so fundamentally at odds with core American values.
“This is beyond the pale,” Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) told Ghalib at last Thursday’s hearing, referring to his social media history. “I will not be supporting your nomination.”
Ghalib’s comments praising Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and his support for a statement comparing Jews to “monkeys” were first exposed in July 2022 in an MEF report written by Benjamin Baird, director of MEF Action. It documented Ghalib’s offensive commentary about African Americans, Jews, and Christians—statements that united Senate Democrats and Republicans to oppose his nomination.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) lambasted Ghalib for his statements in support of the Muslim Brotherhood, asking the nominee how he would react to legislation designating the Islamist network as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The committee relied on certified translations of Ghalib’s Arabic-language Facebook posts obtained by MEF during its investigations, while Cruz displayed an enlarged image of a screenshot that MEF captured showcasing Ghalib’s support for antisemitic comments.
When confronted with irrefutable evidence of his past statements, Ghalib claimed the hearings were “unfair” and asserted falsely that MEF had “mistranslated” his social media posts. An independent, certified linguist had already translated Ghalib’s comments, and the Michigan State University Translation Center subsequently verified those translations as accurate. His refusal to acknowledge the accuracy of these translations, even when confronted with expert verification, underscores his contempt for the transparency and accountability that diplomatic service demands.
“Ghalib’s attempts to deceive the Senate about his documented extremist statements demonstrate his fundamental opposition to the administration’s commitment to combating antisemitism and extremism,” said Baird. “A nominee who refuses to be truthful about his own record cannot be trusted to represent American interests abroad.”
“Ghalib’s behavior during the confirmation process has proven him unfit for any position of public trust,” emphasized MEF executive director Gregg Roman. “His attempts to mislead senators about his well-documented extremist sympathies reveal his comtempt for the administration’s policies against bigotry and antisemitism. No administration should be saddled with an ambassador whose beliefs are so fundamentally at odds with core American values.”
The Middle East Forum, a non-profit organization, promotes American interests in the Middle East and protects the West from Middle Eastern threats. MEF accomplishes its mission through intellectual and activist efforts. For more information, visit www.meforum.org.
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