Dearborn civil-rights attorney Amir Makled, who is seeking the Michigan Democratic Party’s nomination to the University of Michigan Board of Regents, has deleted a series of social-media posts that praised Hezbollah leaders and used antisemitic language, according to reporting published yesterday. The deletions surfaced just as Makled works to lock down one of two Democratic endorsements at the state party’s April 19 convention, injecting a new flashpoint into already tense debates over campus safety and how candidates conduct themselves online.
As reported by The Detroit News, archived versions of Makled’s account show retweets from June and July 2025 that praised members of Hezbollah and referred to figures such as Abu Ali Khalil as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem. The outlet also reports that Makled previously retweeted a 2020 post honoring Qasem Soleimani using the honorific "haj" and shared commentary from Candace Owens that described Israelis as "demons." According to the paper, those entries were later removed, and Makled did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Makled's background and campaign
Makled is known for representing pro-Palestinian students and other clients as a criminal-defense and civil-rights lawyer, and he announced his bid for a regents seat in January, according to Michigan Public. His campaign materials present him as a U-M Dearborn graduate focused on affordability, access, and defending free expression on campus, per his campaign site.
What party officials say
Democratic strategists note that foreign-policy views can get tricky for progressive candidates, especially when they spill into social media. Some party figures told The Detroit News that Makled’s posts are far from the party’s mainstream. Political consultant Adrian Hemond told the outlet that "these aren't popular views within the Democratic Party" and suggested that "apologizing would be a good idea."
Campus context
The flare-up comes as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating about 60 colleges and universities, including the University of Michigan, over allegations of antisemitic harassment and discrimination. That wave of scrutiny has put campus speech under a microscope. The department has warned institutions that they could face enforcement actions if they fail to meet their responsibilities under Title VI, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
What comes next
Makled is vying for one of two Democratic nominations that party delegates will award at the state endorsement convention on April 19, where incumbents Jordan Acker and Paul Brown are also expected to seek re-nomination, according to Michigan Public. It is not yet clear how the deleted posts will shape his support among delegates, but the episode adds pressure to a campaign positioning itself as pro-student and pro-transparency.
For now, the scrubbed social-media history has shifted attention from Makled’s policy message to his online footprint, right in the middle of a fight over who will help govern one of Michigan’s flagship public universities. Observers say the upcoming convention will test whether party activists are more swayed by a candidate’s public record or the implications of what they previously chose to share and later erase.
