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Democratic University of Michigan Board of Regents are refusing to comment on their party’s own nomination of Amir Makled to the board amid growing scrutiny surrounding his past social media posts deemed antisemetic.
The College Fix contacted all eight current regents — two Republicans and six Democrats — multiple times via their official university email addresses listed on the Board of Regents website.
The Fix requested comment on Makled’s past public statements and social media activity, as well as the regents’ position on addressing antisemitism on campus.
Only two regents responded to these emails, and neither addressed concerns about Makled.
Instead, Republican Regent Sarah Hubbard told The College Fix she is unable to comment due to being on vacation, and Democratic Regent Jordan Acker, who is Jewish and has been the victim of repeated anti-Israel vandalism in recent years, stated he would not be commenting on the situation.
The tenure for Acker, who took a hardline approach to deal with rowdy anti–Israel campus protesters, ends in January 2027. Makled was nominated in his place at the Democratic Party’s nomination convention last month.
The remaining Democratic Regents — Michael Behm, Mark J. Bernstein, Denise Ilitch, and Katherine E. White — did not respond to requests for comment. Democratic Regent Paul W. Brown, who was renominated alongside Makled for the party’s two nominations, also did not respond.
All regents are statewide elected officials in Michigan.
Social media controversy
The lack of response comes as Makled, a UM-Dearborn graduate, faces criticism for his past social media activity.
The College Fix previously reported that Makled reposted a tweet stating “Nasrallah wins the war,” referring to Hassan Nasrallah, former Secretary-General of Hezbollah.
He also reposted a July 2025 tweet by Candace Owens that described Israel as “demons,” and “enemies,” and stated that “they lie, steal, cheat, murder and blackmail.”
The Detroit News reported that Makled also shared an “antisemitic meme using a slur originally coined by ISIS.”
Makled, in an April 24 interview with MLive, stated that he disavows antisemitism.
“The only mistake that I made was deleting them,” he said, in reference to the tweets. “They want me looking at tweets and they want the public looking at tweets because they don’t want you looking at tuition, labor, free speech, civil rights and who the University of Michigan actually deserves,” Makled stated.
Makled did not respond to The College Fix’s request for comment via email regarding his past social media activity.
Democrats criticize nomination
While Democratic Regents who may serve alongside Makled have declined to comment, other members of the party have criticized Makled’s nomination.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) criticized Makled’s posts: “I’m going to have a problem with any candidate — Democrat, Republican or independent — who shares antisemitic and hateful posts on social media.”
Former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon also criticized the nomination, saying, “Amir Makled is running as a Democrat. He is not a Democrat.”
Nomination process ‘political’
In a telephone interview with The College Fix, former Republican Regent Ron Weiser, who served from 2017 to 2025, said the nomination process is heavily influenced by politics because regents are selected at party conventions.
“Because new regents are nominated at political conventions, their politics come in the way of them being chosen for the nomination,” he said.
“People sometimes take positions that are politically expedient as candidates,” Weiser added.
“You need to keep your political views out of the way you work as a regent,” he said, noting that regents’ primary responsibilities include financial oversight and appointing the university president, not advancing political rhetoric.
Weiser said the current nomination system is flawed and that bipartisan efforts are underway to reform the process, which would require action from the state legislature.
Rising tension within the Democratic party
The lack of comment from current regents comes amid reported internal tensions within the Michigan Democratic Party following Makled’s nomination.
Acker, who was not re-nominated at the Democratic convention, previously supported disciplinary action against anti-Israel protesters on UM’s campus.
In contrast, Makled, whose nomination replaced Acker, provided UM students who faced criminal charges for participation in a “Gaza solidarity on-campus encampment” with pro-bono legal representation, according to The Michigan Daily.
Following the Democratic nomination convention, Acker told The Detroit News that antisemitism among Michigan Democrats is “extensive,” while other Jewish Democrats have said they feel “politically homeless” amid this controversy.
MORE: Demands grow to censure UMich faculty chair who praised anti-Israel protesters in grad speech
