Michigan Governor-elect Jocelyn Benson has appointed a Nation of Islam leader who has repeatedly promoted antisemitic rhetoric and defended the group’s controversial leader, Louis Farrakhan, to serve on her gubernatorial transition team — months after an antisemitism coalition removed him from an advisory panel over those same affiliations.
Benson, a Democrat who defeated Republican Rep. John James in Tuesday’s gubernatorial election, selected Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad to serve on her 15-member transition council. The team also includes Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, and several other prominent Michigan Democrats.
Muhammad announced his appointment in a Facebook post, saying that the transition team would help prepare Benson’s policy priorities before she takes office. “With a Democratic trifecta, the opportunity to deliver resources and opportunities are increased,” he wrote.
But Muhammad’s appointment comes despite a record of statements and associations that have drawn condemnation from Jewish organizations. He is a “student minister” in the Nation of Islam and a self-described disciple of Farrakhan — who has made a number of troubling antisemitic remarks, including comparing Jews to “termites” and calling Adolf Hitler “a great man.”
The Combat Antisemitism Movement, a coalition of approximately 700 organizations, removed Muhammad from its inaugural mayoral advisory committee over the summer after the Washington Free Beacon reported on his Nation of Islam ties and his support for Farrakhan.
“CAM was recently made aware of positions and affiliations held by Mayor Muhammad that are inconsistent with CAM’s mission,” a spokesperson said at the time. “As a result, CAM decided he will no longer serve on the board, and he was notified accordingly.”
The group said it “will collaborate with no one who legitimizes” the Nation of Islam, citing its “notorious record of antisemitism.”
Muhammad has repeatedly defended Farrakhan and promoted his speeches, per the Free Beacon. In July 2020, after Farrakhan referred to Jews collectively as “the Satan” during a sermon, Muhammad posted a photograph of the Nation of Islam leader with the caption: “Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.”
In a May podcast interview with fellow Nation of Islam members, Muhammad repeatedly invoked “the enemy” while discussing “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy,” a book alleging that pro-Israel interests exert malign influence over American foreign policy.
“They have the muscle, they have the money, they have power, they have influence,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad has also promoted Nation of Islam literature alleging that Jews played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade. He has invoked Kristallnacht, a Nazi state-sponsored series of violent pogroms, to describe alleged attacks on Black Muslim businesses, referring to what he called “the ongoing Jewish and Gentile Kristallnacht.”
In addition, Muhammad has promoted the Nation of Islam’s “Muslim Program,” which calls for racial segregation and states that “intermarriage or race mixing should be prohibited.” Muhammad has described the program as the “ultimate solution” to America’s “race problem.”
His relationship with Farrakhan extends beyond public endorsements. Muhammad has credited the Nation of Islam leader with helping launch his political career, saying Farrakhan encouraged him to run for mayor and pledged to “put the whole Nation behind” his campaign. Muhammad also said Farrakhan advised him in 2019 to reject an invitation to visit Israel as part of a peace mission.
Benson has maintained a relationship with Muhammad despite the controversy. The two have described themselves as longtime friends, and Muhammad said in an August interview that they had developed a relationship “outside of politics.” Benson publicly thanked him during her primary victory speech and has featured his endorsement on her campaign website. She also spoke at a Juneteenth prayer breakfast hosted by Muhammad in Benton Harbor last year.
Muhammad also campaigned alongside Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left Democrat whose associations with controversial anti-Israel activists, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Nation of Islam figures drew scrutiny during his Senate campaign.
The transition appointment could put Benson, who will succeed two-term Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer, at odds with Jewish organizations that have warned against legitimizing the Nation of Islam. It also raises questions about the judgment behind her selections as she prepares to lead a politically competitive state with a substantial Jewish population.
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