Slotkin denounces UM regent nominee Amir Makled after antisemitism backlash
slotkin sharply criticized Amir Makled on Thursday, adding pressure on the Democratic nominee for the University of Michigan Board of Regents after his past social media posts drew condemnation. The Michigan senator said she would have a problem with any candidate, regardless of party, who shares antisemitic and hateful posts online. Her remarks came after Makled’s nomination at the Michigan Democratic Party convention last weekend sparked concern among Jewish Democrats and intensified scrutiny of the party’s handling of the race.
Slotkin takes aim at Makled’s posts
to Jewish Insider on Thursday, Sen. Elissa Slotkin said she is troubled by candidates who post hateful material and then refuse to disavow it or show remorse. That response was directed at Makled, who was nominated for the regent post after replacing Jewish and pro-Israel regent Jordan Acker at the party convention.
The criticism centers on social media posts linked to Makled that included antisemitic sentiments and support for terrorism. One account of the controversy says he shared posts praising Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Abu Ali Khalil, both described as martyrs in those posts. Makled also shared a now-deleted post from Candace Owens calling Israelis demons who lie, steal, cheat, murder and blackmail.
Slotkin, party leaders, and growing fallout
slotkin was not alone in breaking with Makled. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet also criticized the nominee, while Sen. Gary Peters faulted the conduct of activists at the convention more broadly. The backlash has widened because the convention included aggressive heckling of pro-Israel speakers, leaving some prominent Jewish Democrats in Michigan feeling alienated and unmoored from their party.
Brandon Dillon, a former leader of the Michigan Democratic Party, publicly opposed Makled before the nomination and said his online behavior showed a pattern of extremism and bigotry. In his acceptance speech, Makled praised students involved in anti-Israel protests at the University of Michigan after the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel.
University of Michigan tensions remain high
The dispute comes against the backdrop of sustained conflict over anti-Israel activism on campus. Makled, a trial lawyer, had represented University of Michigan students involved in those protests and had previously called for the university system to divest from Israel. The university was also among 60 institutions notified by the Education Department that it was being investigated for possible violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 over antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
The controversy has also revived attention on the treatment of outgoing Regent Acker, whose car was vandalized in December 2024 with the words Divest… Free Palestine and an inverted triangle, a reference to Hamas. At that time, Acker said it was the third time that year he had been victimized by anti-Israel vandals. Slotkin’s comments now add another high-profile rebuke to a nomination already fueling anger inside and outside the party.
What happens next for slotkin and the regent race
With the nomination now under heavy fire, the next phase will likely focus on whether Michigan Democrats try to contain the fallout or leave Makled in place as the party’s regent candidate. For now, slotkin has made clear that the issue is not only about one nomination, but about whether elected officials will tolerate antisemitic and hateful posts from those seeking public office.
