Former mayor lashes out at ‘deep state’ in pride flag issue

By Charles Sercombe
Former mayor Amer Ghalib, who now works for President Trump’s administration, didn’t hold back in lashing out at those trying to upend the city’s ban on displaying pride flags on city property.
In a post on his Facebook page, he said:
“I previously said that my political battles with my opponents ended with the end of my term as mayor, but they went ahead and the federal court upheld the decision in the flag-raising case.
“This week, the other slap came with the confirmation by the Supreme Federal Court of the decision of the lower court to reject the flag-raising of the LGBTQ+ flag, which was a valid, legal, and constitutional decision.
“This case, in our opinion, started from a problem that did not exist, initiated by the deep state within the policy of employing contentious cases against the new administration in order to thwart it, and we were always in a position of defense and neutrality towards all components of society.
“The chaotic actions of these forces caused media uproar and deliberate distortion of the city and its leadership, but they lost the legal battle, then regained it, then lost again, and perhaps decided to take the case to the country’s supreme court, and they will definitely lose.
“We have won the battle against the deep state, including the Attorney General of the state, Dana Nessel, and it is time for her to apologize for her presence in Hamtramck and protesting against the mayor and provoking society from the highest legal authority in the state.
“The option to file a counterclaim for psychological harm and deliberate distortion that befell us, and the material damage that befell the city, should be studied now.
“I am waiting for an open apology from the Attorney General Dana Nessel and the previous mayor and the deep state that supported them, and their actions were one of the main reasons for what happened to them in the previous elections.
“I previously said that my political battles with my opponents had ended with the conclusion of my term as mayor. However, they went on to appeal the federal court’s decision in the flag-raising case.
“Then came another blow: the federal appeals court upheld the lower court’s ruling, finding that the City of Hamtramck’s decision to refuse the raising of identity flags was sound, lawful, and constitutional.
“In our view, this case began over an issue that did not exist in the first place. It was initiated by the ‘deep state’ as part of a strategy of weaponizing controversial issues against the new administration at the time in an attempt to undermine it. We were always put in the position of defending ourselves, and we have never started any issue!
“The chaotic actions of those forces generated significant media noise and deliberate attempts to smear the city and its leadership. But they lost the legal battle, appealed the decision, and lost again. They may decide to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, and they will undoubtedly lose there as well.”
Posted Sept. 4, 2026