Former President Donald Trump told Breitbart News that he is honored to receive an endorsement from Ameer Ghalib, the Democratic mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan. This endorsement could complicate the Harris campaign’s efforts to gain traction with Muslim voters in the crucial swing state, especially since many Muslim voters have been hesitant to support the Biden-Harris administration due to the War in Gaza.
“I was very impressed with him and he was a very big fan of the Trump administration because he saw no wars — outside of defeating ISIS, but I inherited that — but there were no wars,” Trump told Breitbart News in an interview on Sunday. “There was no October 7. There was no Russian attack on Ukraine. He sees that and he told me — he saw a world that was at peace. Now, we have a world that’s going to end up in World War 3 and I can stop that. I’m the only one that’s going to stop that.”
?Just in: Amer Ghalib who is the Mayor of Hamtramck Michigan which is the only majority-Muslim city in the U.S. has officially endorsed Donald Trump for President. pic.twitter.com/HbDnPMqOrr
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) September 22, 2024
In Michigan, which has a significant Muslim American community, President Biden encountered a challenging primary campaign due to his handling of the war in Gaza. Over 10 percent of Michigan Democrats cast votes against Biden, exceeding the target of 10,000 votes. Harris has been working to recover support among Democratic voters who are dissatisfied with the administration’s handling of the War on Gaza. Her approach has been somewhat ambiguous, frequently labeling Israel as an ally while advocating for an end to arms shipments and calling for a ceasefire.
In an interview with Breitbart News on Sunday, Trump expressed a strong interest in holding a campaign rally in Hamtramck as the election cycle progresses. “The answer is if the opportunity presents itself, I would do that,” Trump said when asked if he would hold a rally or a campaign stop in Hamtramck. “It can’t remain the way it is now with the hatred that’s going around.”
Ghalib represents one of the largest Muslim communities in Wayne County, Michigan, with recent census figures indicating a Muslim population exceeding 60 percent. As a key figure in the uncommitted campaign against Biden earlier this year, Ghalib, the son of Yemeni immigrants, has shifted the movement’s focus from “abandon Biden” to “abandon Harris.” Ghalib said: “I talked to President Trump about, you know, some statistics here in Wayne County and how it used to be a stronghold for the Democrats, and we always used to vote Democrat. This is not the case anymore here.”
The mayor formally announced his endorsement in a Facebook post on Sunday after hinting at it in recent days. “President Trump and I may not agree on everything, but I know he is a man of principles,” he wrote. “Though it’s looking good, he may or may not win the election and be the 47th president of the United States, but I believe he is the right choice for this critical time. I’ll not regret my decision no matter what the outcome would be, and I’m ready to face the consequences,” the post continued. “For this, and for many other reasons, I announce my support and endorsement for the former, and hopefully, the next president of the United States, Donald Trump.”
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