The Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, which carried Donald Trump back to the presidency and remains a potent force in American politics, includes a mix of influential figures from various backgrounds. Among them are several well-known Assyrian-Americans who have become recognizable names within MAGA-aligned media and political circles. These include Alina Habba, Mark Savaya, Patrick Bet-David, and George Janko.
Alina Habba, the daughter of Assyrian emigrants from Iraq belonging to the Chaldean Catholic Church, rose to national prominence through her close professional association with Donald Trump. She first gained public attention as one of Trump’s personal attorneys, representing him in multiple high-profile legal cases. Following Trump’s return to office, Habba went on to hold senior advisory and legal roles within the federal government, including serving in capacities linked to the Department of Justice. Despite her background, Habba has not publicly identified as Assyrian, instead presenting herself as Arab-American in public statements, a reflection of the broader historical Arabization experienced by many urbanized Assyrians from the Chaldean Church in Iraq.
Mark Savaya, also an Assyrian from the Chaldean Church, has been associated with Trump’s political orbit and was designated as the US special envoy to Iraq, though subsequent media reports indicate that this appointment did not ultimately materialize. Savaya has been credited in several accounts with helping mobilize support for Trump in Michigan, a key battleground state, and social media posts suggest he maintained close access to Trump during the campaign period and thereafter.
Patrick Bet-David, an Assyrian-American entrepreneur, media personality, and podcaster, has emerged as one of the most prominent Assyrian figures in conservative political media. He has spoken at major MAGA-aligned events, including Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest (AmFest). Trump also appeared on Bet-David’s podcast in the lead-up to the election, where the two briefly discussed the Assyrian people. Bet-David has likewise been seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
George Janko, another Assyrian-American podcaster with a large online following, has also appeared as a speaker at several MAGA-associated events, including Turning Point USA’s Believers’ Summit and AmericaFest. During the election season, Janko hosted Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his podcast. Unlike Habba and Savaya, George Janko and Patrick Bet-David publicly identify as Assyrians.
Trump’s own interactions with the Assyrian-American community have been mixed. During his campaign, he was photographed with members of the Assyrians for Trump group, and both his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. visited Assyrian communities in Detroit and Arizona as part of election outreach efforts. However, at one campaign event, Trump was asked by Assyrians for Trump to give the community a public shout-out. In an awkward moment that quickly went viral, he mispronounced “Assyrians” as “Asur Asians,” later attributing the mistake to a misspelling on the teleprompter. The incident drew international media attention and sparked widespread discussion across Assyrian and global outlets.
