US Senate Confirms Two of Trump’s Ambassador Nominees
By Staff, Agencies
The US Senate has now confirmed two out of President Donald Trump's three Arab American picks for ambassadorships in the Middle East: his golfing companion, businessman Michel Issa, to be ambassador to Lebanon; and Bill Bazzi, former mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, to be ambassador to Tunisia.
Both men were born in Lebanon. The third nominee, Amer Ghalib, the mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, has still not been confirmed.
Issa was described by Trump as a "financial expert, and a leader with a remarkable career in banking, entrepreneurship, and international trade".
"I have no doubt that he will serve our country with honor and distinction," the president wrote on his TruthSocial account in March.
According to his LinkedIn account, Issa was educated in France and worked in the banking sector there before acquiring and running luxury auto dealerships in the US.
In 2012, he co-founded the Michel Issa Foundation for Local Development [MIF] in Lebanon with fellow Syriac Maronite Lebanese businessmen, the Syriac Press reported.
Issa's confirmation on Tuesday was lauded by Trump's deputy envoy to the region, Morgan Ortagus.
Prominent Sunni Lebanese parliamentarian, the billionaire Fouad Makhzoumi, also welcomed the news.
"We look forward to his arrival, confident in his ability to enhance the vital US-Lebanon partnership," Makhzoumi wrote on X.
Just a week before Issa was confirmed, the Senate voted to approve 21-year Marine Corps veteran Bazzi as ambassador to Tunisia.
His endorsement of Trump last year, amid "Israel's" war on Gaza and Lebanon, was key in shifting Michigan's Arab-American bloc from Democratic to Republican.
His appointment by Trump was largely seen as a reward for his loyalty, especially when it was unpopular, given Trump's anti-Muslim policies during his first term.
On Election Day in November 2024, Bazzi recounted to Middle East Eye his journey from Lebanon to the US when he was 12 years old.
The State Department's "certificate of competency" highlights Bazzi's work with Boeing and Ford, and his role as an engineer and auditor before becoming mayor of Dearborn Heights, an Arab-American majority suburb of Detroit.
MEE asked Bazzi last year about the fractures within the Arab and Muslim community because of the choices in the election, and the vote-shaming of those who backed Trump.
"He's going to lead. He's going to have good people in his cabinet, on his leadership team, to help us all be united. And that's the message he's putting together," he said.
A third candidate, the Yemeni-born mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, has had his confirmation hearing for ambassador to Kuwait delayed indefinitely due to grievances from pro-"Israel" groups.
Ghalib, an outspoken supporter of Palestinians, officially endorsed the president-to-be in September 2024, following a year of US air strikes in Yemen under the Biden administration.
Trump himself attributed many of his electoral gains in the Detroit suburbs, among Arab and Muslim communities, to Ghalib personally.
His certificate of competency calls him a "well-known poet," a title visible on his Facebook page. Though his name is pronounced "Aa-mer," he doesn't mind the common mispronunciation "Ameer."
"He also organizes educational health sessions, focusing on screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the most common medical illnesses in the community," the State Department said.
Ghalib moved to the US at the age of 17, and in 2022 became the first Muslim mayor to lead an all-Muslim city council in Hamtramck.
Following Trump's nomination, the Anti-Defamation League [ADL] accused Ghalib of "routinely trafficking in antisemitism" and warned his appointment could fuel antisemitic attitudes in Kuwait and the region.
The ADL criticized Ghalib for supporting the Palestinian-led BDS movement, which seeks to pressure "Israel" to comply with international law, similar to the boycott of apartheid South Africa.
Under Ghalib's leadership, the city council was among the first in the country to halt all financial investments linked to Israel, The Hamtramck Review reported.
As of last week, Ghalib said he still has Trump's backing.
"President Trump has just called me and emphasised his unwavering support to me to serve as the next Ambassador of the United States to the state of Kuwait, and he thanked our community for their support," Ghalib wrote in a Facebook post.
He has also made a number of trips to the White House in recent weeks, sharing images taken alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.
