Trump campaigning among Muslim and Arab communities, key voters for 2024
Former President Donald Trump is stepping up his efforts to appeal to traditionally Democratic Muslim and Arab voters, capitalizing on dissatisfaction with U.S. foreign policy on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Recent polls show a swing toward Trump among these voters, especially in the key state of Michigan, where the Arab community is influential.
Trump became the first major party candidate to visit Dearborn, a majority Arab city, demonstrating his commitment to this awareness campaign. With the help of Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman and father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, he gained the support of religious figures and some Democratic mayors in Michigan. Boulos, along with former advisor Richard Grinnell, is running a campaign targeting Arab Muslim and Christian voters, addressing both the conflict in Gaza and conservative values valued by some of that electorate.
At the same time, Vice President Kamala Harris and her team are trying to maintain the support of Muslim and Arab Americans. However, several voices, such as that of Nazita Lajevardi, professor of political science, criticize the Biden administration for its silence on Gaza. Some Democratic leaders, such as Bill Clinton, have also stirred controversy by downplaying the civilian impacts of the conflict, fueling frustration within that community.
Some Democrats, including activist Ismaël Ahmed, believe that Harris’ campaign did not sufficiently take into account the specific concerns of Arab and Muslim voters, citing strategic errors such as the absence of Palestinian voices within the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, influential figures like Robert McCaw, of the Center for American-Islamic Relations, criticize the comments of Bill Clinton and Ritchie Torres, perceived as disconnected from the realities experienced by this community. With Trump seeking to appear as a defender of conservative social values and peace in the Middle East, the Arab and Muslim community is becoming a crucial issue for both camps. This unexpected shift could well play a determining role in the results of the 2024 presidential election, especially in pivotal states where every vote counts.
