EXCLUSIVE — A councilman in the Muslim-majority city of Hamtramck is mobilizing support for Vice President Kamala Harris after its mayor endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Mohammed Hassan, a longtime councilman of the Michigan city, home to a large Yemeni and Bangladeshi population in Detroit, held an event Sunday night in which he and other community leaders offered their support to Harris.
The event, which brought an estimated 250 people to Radhuni Restaurant in Detroit, was organized in direct response to Mayor Amer Ghalib’s surprise announcement last month that he would back Trump in the presidential race.
“He’s only the mayor. It’s him. It’s not Hamtramck city. It’s only his decision. It’s not a council decision,” Hassan said on Monday, telling the Washington Examiner that a majority of the council will be supporting Harris.
He named two other Hamtramck councilmen who endorsed Harris on Sunday, Mohammed Alsomiri and Muhith Mahmood, plus a slate of candidates and current or former officials in the area, among them Rep. Abraham Aiyash, who represents Hamtramck in the Michigan House.
The offices of those officials did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
Hassan has been gathering support for Harris in coordination with Detroit Councilman Scott Benson, with the message that Trump cannot be “trusted” and would permit Israel to wage its war in Gaza with fewer restrictions than Harris would.
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He plans to hold additional events to galvanize the Bangladeshi community, including an event in Warren this coming Sunday.
Hassan told the Washington Examiner he has been in regular contact with Ed Duggan, Harris’s campaign point person in Michigan.