Vice President Kamala Harris's alliance with Liz Cheney and her position on the Gaza conflict have sparked an unprecedented shift in voter loyalty among Arab-American communities.
According to the Washington Examiner, prominent pro-Palestinian activists attribute their turn to President-elect Donald Trump to Harris's alignment with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and dissatisfaction with the administration's handling of the war in Gaza.
The rejection of the Democratic ticket manifested most notably in Michigan, where historically Democratic strongholds like Dearborn witnessed a dramatic shift toward Trump. This transformation was particularly striking in areas with significant Arab-American populations, where voters expressed deep disappointment with Harris's approach to the Middle Eastern conflict and her association with Cheney, known for her pro-war stance.
Layla Elabed, co-founder of the Uncommitted movement, criticized Harris's decision to align with Cheney, viewing it as a betrayal of working-class families. The vice president's decision to hold a panel discussion with Cheney in Michigan weeks before the election further alienated pro-Palestinian voters.
Farah Khan, co-chairwoman of Michigan's Abandon Harris campaign, highlighted the contrast between Harris's rhetoric and actions. She expressed frustration with the administration's continued weapons funding while offering sympathetic words.
Bryarr Misner, a campaign manager for Abandon Harris in Pittsburgh, shared his perspective on the community's transition to supporting Trump: "We went through multiple avenues to try to be heard, and instead, we were ridiculed."
Trump's campaign strategy involved direct engagement with Arab-American communities, particularly in Michigan. His approach included visiting Muslim-majority areas and making promises to end the conflict in Gaza.
The president-elect's alignment with anti-war figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard strengthened his appeal to peace-advocating voters. His message of bringing swift resolution to the Middle Eastern conflict resonated strongly with previously Democratic-leaning constituencies. Elabed emphasized Harris's absence in crucial communities, stating:
She never came to Dearborn... She never came to speak to families that were first-hand impacted by our U.S. policy decisions that ultimately killed their family members.
The impact of this voter migration became evident in places like Dearborn, the first Arab-American city in the United States, which switched from supporting Biden with nearly 70% of the vote in 2020 to backing Trump in 2024.
Amer Ghalib, mayor of Hamtramck, one of the country's only Arab-majority cities, made headlines by endorsing Trump. This unexpected support from a traditionally Democratic leader foreshadowed the broader electoral shift in Michigan.
The movement away from Harris gained particular significance in Michigan, a crucial battleground state home to one of the largest Arab-American populations in the nation. The state's shift exemplified how foreign policy positions can dramatically influence domestic electoral outcomes.
The 2024 election revealed how foreign policy decisions profoundly impacted domestic political alignments, particularly in communities with strong ties to the Middle East. Vice President Harris's association with Liz Cheney and the administration's stance on Gaza led to a significant realignment of Arab-American voters toward Trump, who successfully portrayed himself as a peace-seeking alternative. This shift manifested most dramatically in Michigan, where traditionally Democratic Arab-American communities played a decisive role in determining the election's outcome.
