Former President Donald Trump was honoured during his visit to Hamtramck, Michigan, on Friday when the city’s Mayor, Amer Ghalib, presented him with a certificate of appreciation.
The gesture came after Ghalib, the city’s first Muslim mayor, endorsed Trump, marking a notable moment in the former president’s campaign to court Michigan’s Arab-American voters ahead of the 2024 election.
In a separate event in Wisconsin, Harris was confronted by a protester during a closed-door meeting with students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A video shared by a pro-Palestinian student group captured the moment a protester interrupted her, asking, “And in genocide, right? Billions of dollars in genocide?”
Ghalib, who was born in Yemen and became Hamtramck’s mayor in 2021, praised Trump during the brief ceremony, calling the visit “historic” for the Muslim-majority city.
"We had a history of disconnect and miscommunication with the Republican Party... Now we are here to end that disconnect," Ghalib stated, adding that Trump’s visit demonstrated "respect and appreciation for our community."
Trump, grateful for the endorsement, promised to bring peace to the Middle East, a key concern for many Arab-American voters. “We all ultimately want one thing: peace in the Middle East, and we’re going to get peace,” Trump said, speaking at a campaign office in Hamtramck, where signs reading “Peace through strength” were on display.
The city, part of Wayne County, plays a crucial role in Michigan’s electoral map, with its diverse voting blocs potentially swaying the outcome.
Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris also visited Michigan, holding rallies in cities such as Lansing and Grand Rapids.
While she focused on appealing to union workers and defending President Joe Biden’s policies, Harris faced backlash over US support for Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Harris has faced criticism from segments of the Arab-American community over the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict, while Trump is attempting to capitalise on this discontent. He predicted a decline in Arab-American support for Harris, telling reporters during his Michigan visit, “I don’t think they’re going to be voting for her because she doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
The political divide was further highlighted by contrasting endorsements in Hamtramck. While Mayor Ghalib endorsed Trump, three city council members backed Harris, reflecting the split in the community. Despite past tensions, including Trump’s travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries, Ghalib’s endorsement symbolised an effort to heal the rift between the Republican Party and Hamtramck’s Muslim residents.
As the 2024 election draws near, both candidates are heavily courting Michigan’s voters, with Trump making multiple stops across the state.
Michigan, a key swing state with a significant Arab-American population, could be decisive in the outcome.
The gesture came after Ghalib, the city’s first Muslim mayor, endorsed Trump, marking a notable moment in the former president’s campaign to court Michigan’s Arab-American voters ahead of the 2024 election.
24 hours apart:
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 19, 2024
Kamala get's heckled for her role in bringing widespread devastation to the Middle East.
President Trump receives a certificate of appreciation from the mayor of the only Muslim-majority city in the nation.
President Trump will restore PEACE to the Middle East! pic.twitter.com/rJDVdzjjAY
In a separate event in Wisconsin, Harris was confronted by a protester during a closed-door meeting with students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. A video shared by a pro-Palestinian student group captured the moment a protester interrupted her, asking, “And in genocide, right? Billions of dollars in genocide?”
Ghalib, who was born in Yemen and became Hamtramck’s mayor in 2021, praised Trump during the brief ceremony, calling the visit “historic” for the Muslim-majority city.
"We had a history of disconnect and miscommunication with the Republican Party... Now we are here to end that disconnect," Ghalib stated, adding that Trump’s visit demonstrated "respect and appreciation for our community."
Trump, grateful for the endorsement, promised to bring peace to the Middle East, a key concern for many Arab-American voters. “We all ultimately want one thing: peace in the Middle East, and we’re going to get peace,” Trump said, speaking at a campaign office in Hamtramck, where signs reading “Peace through strength” were on display.
The city, part of Wayne County, plays a crucial role in Michigan’s electoral map, with its diverse voting blocs potentially swaying the outcome.
Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris also visited Michigan, holding rallies in cities such as Lansing and Grand Rapids.
While she focused on appealing to union workers and defending President Joe Biden’s policies, Harris faced backlash over US support for Israel in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Harris has faced criticism from segments of the Arab-American community over the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict, while Trump is attempting to capitalise on this discontent. He predicted a decline in Arab-American support for Harris, telling reporters during his Michigan visit, “I don’t think they’re going to be voting for her because she doesn’t know what she’s doing.”
The political divide was further highlighted by contrasting endorsements in Hamtramck. While Mayor Ghalib endorsed Trump, three city council members backed Harris, reflecting the split in the community. Despite past tensions, including Trump’s travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries, Ghalib’s endorsement symbolised an effort to heal the rift between the Republican Party and Hamtramck’s Muslim residents.
As the 2024 election draws near, both candidates are heavily courting Michigan’s voters, with Trump making multiple stops across the state.
Michigan, a key swing state with a significant Arab-American population, could be decisive in the outcome.
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