Trump-supporting Arab mayor made US ambassador to Tunisia

A US mayor Bill Bazzi, known as a prominent Arab-American ally of US President Donald Trump, has been selected as the US ambassador to Tunisia. 

The mayor of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, announced he will become the US envoy to Tunis on Facebook, expressing his gratitude for his appointment which comes after endorsing the US president during last year’s tumultuous presidential campaign. 

This makes Bazzi the second Arab-American mayor in Metro Detroit to be nominated for an ambassadorship, following Trump’s announcement of Yemeni-American Hamtramck mayor Amer Ghalib as the US ambassador to Kuwait. 

Bazzi wrote in a Tuesday post that he has “a great affinity for Tunisia and its honorable parliament members”. 

“With my visits overseas, the parliament cohort’s visits to the US, and the relationships we have established over the years, I am excited to return and honorably represent our country in Tunisia as its US Ambassador,” he added. 

President Trump praised Bazzi in a separate post on his social media platform, Truth Social, stating that the Dearborn Heights mayor “worked hard during the 2024 presidential election to help us secure our historic victory”. 

Trump also commended the Lebanese-born US Marine veteran for his military service, his engineering work with Boeing and Ford, and his global partnerships. 

Both Ghalib and Bazzi publicly supported Trump in their cities, where Arab-American voters played a pivotal role in securing his November victory. 

Bazzi endorsed Trump in October, citing his stance on Middle East policy and immigration.  

He further confirmed his support for the Republican leader after former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris chose to campaign with former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, a staunch supporter of the Iraq War, in an interview with US news site Politico.