Amer Ghalib

Amer Ghalib (, ; born 1979) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan from 2022 until 2026. A conservative Democrat, he was the first Arab American and the first Muslim to hold the office. Ghalib gained national attention as mayor for implementing an ordinance banning the pride flag from display on city property, and for supporting Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election. but his nomination stalled after bipartisan criticism of past statements he made. Starting in 2026, Ghalib has served as the senior advisor for strategic partnerships at AmeriCorps.

Early life and career Ghalib was born in Yemen. He studied biology at Henry Ford Community College before attending Wayne State University where he received a biology degree.

Mayor of Hamtramck In the 2021 Hamtramck mayoral election, Ghalib defeated incumbent mayor Karen Majewski with 68% of the vote. He became both the first Arab American and Muslim to hold the position and according to the Detroit Free Press became the first non-Polish American mayor in 100 years. The move prompted criticism from several Michigan Democrats, including Rashida Tlaib. Ghalib described LGBTQ activists as a "militia". In June 2024, Ghalib and the city council unanimously passed a resolution which required the city to avoid investing in Israeli companies or those supporting Israeli apartheid.

2024 presidential elections During the 2024 Michigan Democratic presidential primary, Ghalib supported the Uncommitted Movement and recommended voters vote uncommitted instead of Joe Biden. In September 2024, Ghalib endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 United States presidential election after meeting him at a town hall in Flint in which they discussed issues affecting Arab and Muslim Americans. Kurt Streeter of The New York Times reported that as a social conservative, Ghalib found more in common with Republicans who had "actively courted him." In his endorsement, Ghalib acknowledged their disagreements on key issues but that he believed that Trump would end the Gaza war.

After Trump began his presidency in 2025, Ghalib expressed continued support of Trump on Facebook despite Trump's expressed desire to permanently relocate Palestinians from Gaza.

Nomination for United States Ambassador to Kuwait In March 2025, Trump named Ghalib as his nominee for United States ambassador to Kuwait. Trump praised Ghalib on social media, writing, “Amer worked hard to help us secure a historic victory in Michigan".

These comments caused Ghalib's nomination to stall and it is unclear if Trump will submit Ghalib's nomination again. When asked about his nomination, Ghalib said “I’m not interested in it anymore.”