In a recent attempt to win over Arab American voters disenchanted with President Biden, allies of former President Donald Trump met with nearly 40 Arab American and Middle Eastern leaders in Michigan. Richard Grenell, Trump’s former ambassador to Germany and a key advisor, led the discussions. Many in Michigan have been critical of Biden’s handling of the war on Gaza, questioning Grenell about what Trump would have done differently. However, dissatisfaction arose due to a lack of specific policy details from Grenell, leaving some leaders unconvinced.
Trump and his allies claim his governing record shows his approach reduced global conflicts, but it seems these responses lacked the concrete changes the activists seek. Khaled Saffuri, an Arab American political activist said, “We appreciate the outreach…But it won’t be easy to convince the community to switch from Biden to Trump, because even though we are angry with Biden, many still have a bad taste in their mouth from the four years of Trump.” Michael Boulos, Trump’s son-in-law, and his father, Massad Boulos, a Lebanese businessman, also attended the meeting, highlighting Trump’s admiration for the Middle East and sharing personal experiences.
Grenell faced questions about Trump’s travel ban and remarks from Jared Kushner regarding Gaza’s “waterfront property”. Saffuri afterwards said this issue was “never addressed correctly”. The event marked the beginning of broader outreach by Trump allies in Michigan.
Massad Boulos, leveraging his connections within the Arab American community, is leading the outreach efforts, which have included several individual meetings with community leaders. Despite his attempts, skepticism remains about the effectiveness of these efforts.
Michigan, home to over 310,000 residents of Middle Eastern or North African descent, plays a pivotal role in the presidential election. Trump won Michigan by just over 10,000 votes in 2016. However, Biden retook the state for the Democrats in 2020 by a roughly 154,000-vote margin. Now, as Biden becomes increasingly more unfavorable with the Arab American community over his handling of the war on Gaza, many question their support.
This dissatisfaction among Arab American voters has even led to movements within the Democratic primaries, with significant support for “uncommitted” votes as a form of protest. More than 100,000 Michigan Democratic primary voters in February cast ballots for “uncommitted” in the presidential race. In two Muslim-majority Michigan cities, including Dearborn, which holds close to 110,000 people, the “uncommitted” vote was overwhelming.
While the Trump campaign’s efforts to sway Arab American voters in Michigan show a strategic push to capitalize on discontent with Biden, many are still waiting for more substance from Trump. “We have to sit down with someone who’s going to be a policymaker,” said Osama Siblani, a publisher of the Arab American News in Dearborn.
