NEW: Abdul Builds Strong Support From Key Trump 2024 Voters
“Michigan’s Arab American voters helped deliver a GOP presidential victory. But in a competitive Senate race, many say the Democrat is the ‘America First’ candidate.”
MICHIGAN – New reporting from the New York Times and the Washington Post show how Muslim American voters in Michigan who turned out for Donald Trump in 2024 feel betrayed.
Bad-faith attacks by Mike Rogers, Trump, and their MAGA allies are backfiring with a key constituency that was critical to Trump’s win in Michigan in 2024 — a constituency that is now backing Abdul’s campaign.
New York Times: For some Muslim voters who backed Mr. Trump in 2024, it all feels like a betrayal.
Two years ago, as a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump made considerable efforts to win votes in some Muslim communities. Now they say that Mr. Trump pledged his support only when it was politically convenient, then alienated and scapegoated them once he won the election.
“My whole community is scared,” said Hassan Nehme, who served as a vice chair to the Michigan Republican Party in 2024 and helped the Trump campaign reach Muslim and Arab American communities like Dearborn. “It’s post-911 in Dearborn. It’s that feeling, like we’re under attack.”
Washington Post: Interviews with about a dozen Dearborn residents show how some Arab Americans think El-Sayed, a fierce critic of Trump and the Israeli government, is the candidate who most embodies “America First.”
Many think the Democrat will follow through on a promise the president broke: End America’s involvement in wars abroad and focus on improving the economy at home.
El-Sayed has embraced the “America First” label and made appeals to Trump voters, including in a campaign ad that aired exclusively on the conservative Fox News and Newsmax networks.
[…] Now, Fidama said he feels let down by the president and Republicans on foreign and domestic fronts. The war in Yemen still rages. The cost of filling up his car has doubled. He’s shocked by the price of his groceries every time he goes to the store. “His message was ‘Make America Great Again.’ It’s not great,” Fidama said. “I don’t see peace anywhere. He made it worse. We have started a war. For why?” […] But, he said he thinks El Sayed’s Democratic campaign platform summed up in the slogan — “Money out of politics. Money in your pocket. Medicare for All” — will help the people of Michigan. “I know he will be just one vote,” Fidama said. “But the way he talks, at least, we will have someone that feels the people.”
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