Table of Contents
- Nomination in Crisis
- Controversial Past Statements Resurface
- Senate Math Spells Doom
- Ghalib’s Defense Falls Short
- Bipartisan Concerns Mount
- Sources
Trump’s Kuwait Ambassador Pick Collapses Amid GOP Revolt
In a rare intra-party rebuke, President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to Kuwait—Amer Ghalib, the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan—is facing near-certain defeat after three key Republican senators announced their opposition. The move all but guarantees his nomination will stall in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Ghalib, a prominent Arab American Trump supporter, was once seen as a strategic choice to strengthen U.S. ties in the Gulf. But his confirmation hearing last week exposed deep fissures within the GOP and raised serious questions about his diplomatic readiness.
Controversial Past Statements Resurface
During his Senate hearing, Ghalib faced intense bipartisan grilling over past social media posts and public remarks. Among the most contentious:
- Referring to Saddam Hussein as a “martyr”
- Refusing to condemn Hamas atrocities
- Liking a post that compared Jews to “monkeys”
- Supporting a local City Council resolution backing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel
Ghalib attempted to contextualize these statements, noting many were made years ago as a private citizen and sometimes mistranslated from Arabic. He claimed the “monkeys” post was merely acknowledged—not endorsed—and emphasized his later alignment with Trump’s foreign policy vision.
Senate Math Spells Doom
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee currently holds a 12-10 Republican majority. With Senators Ted Cruz (Texas), John Cornyn (Texas), and Dave McCormick (Pennsylvania) all declaring opposition, Ghalib lacks the votes needed to advance—even if all Democrats supported him, which they won’t.
| Senator | State | Position on Ghalib |
|---|---|---|
| Ted Cruz | Texas | Opposed – cited policy disagreements |
| John Cornyn | Texas | Opposed – “not qualified” |
| Dave McCormick | Pennsylvania | Opposed – “failed to demonstrate readiness” |
Ghalib’s Defense Falls Short
Under fire from Senator Cruz, Ghalib struggled to explain a past social media post criticizing the Abraham Accords—the Trump-era normalization deal between Israel and the UAE. “You said it was a threat to stability and a cause for mourning,” Cruz pressed. Ghalib replied, “I don’t recall writing that,” adding the post predated his support for Trump and that he now sees the Accords as a “great opportunity” for peace.
Still, his evasiveness didn’t reassure skeptics. “He didn’t really answer anybody’s questions,” said Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska.
Bipartisan Concerns Mount
Even traditionally cooperative Democrats expressed alarm. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the committee’s ranking Democrat and a frequent supporter of Trump nominees, voiced “grave concerns” about Ghalib’s fitness to represent U.S. interests abroad.
“In a role that demands clarity, consistency, and unwavering commitment to American values, his past remarks raise serious doubts,” Shaheen stated.
With no path forward in committee, Ghalib’s nomination appears doomed—marking a rare stumble for Trump in foreign appointments and highlighting the delicate balance of identity politics, diplomacy, and party loyalty.
Sources
The New York Times: Trump’s Pick for Ambassador to Kuwait on Path to Failure
