President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait has instead accepted a position with AmeriCorps in Washington after facing opposition from key Republican senators.
Former Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib began work Monday as a senior adviser for strategic partnerships at AmeriCorps. In the role, he is expected to work with local communities across all 50 states.
Ghalib said he asked the president to reconsider his diplomatic appointment. According to Ghalib, Trump suggested waiting for action by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but Ghalib expressed interest in pursuing a different role, which was accepted, the Detroit News reports.
While he has not formally withdrawn his nomination to the Kuwait post, Ghalib indicated his focus is now on the AmeriCorps position, leaving the fate of his ambassadorial nomination to the president’s discretion.
Ghalib’s nomination had encountered resistance in the Senate, where at least four Republican senators indicated last year they would not support his confirmation, effectively blocking a path forward in committee.
Critics cited concerns about Ghalib’s qualifications and past public statements related to Israel and Middle East policy, arguing that some of his positions diverged from those of the Trump administration. Ghalib has maintained that the criticism was based on misinformation and mischaracterizations.
During his confirmation hearing, several senators pressed Ghalib on his views. Sen. Dave McCormick of Pennsylvania repeatedly asked whether he agreed with Trump’s position supporting Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people; Ghalib did not give a direct yes-or-no response, emphasizing coexistence in the region.
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas questioned Ghalib over social media activity, including interactions with posts containing offensive content. Ghalib said he did not endorse such remarks and described his online engagement as a “bad habit” of acknowledging comments without agreement.
Cruz and others also pointed to Ghalib’s past criticism of the Abraham Accords, comments regarding former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, and statements about the Muslim Brotherhood as grounds for concern.
Democratic senators also raised objections. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire expressed concern over Ghalib’s past remarks about reports of sexual violence during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Ghalib said he condemns all atrocities committed that day, describing the events as tragic.
Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada accused Ghalib of using rhetoric that she said risked inflaming divisions and promoting harmful stereotypes. She said she would not support the nomination.
Ghalib told lawmakers that several past statements attributed to him were taken out of context or mistranslated from Arabic, and said they did not reflect his true views.
Ghalib’s term as mayor of Hamtramck concluded last year.
