US election boosts Arab, Muslim voter activism

Donald Trump was last month elected for a second term as US president, winning not only all of the nation’s seven swing states but also a clear majority of the popular vote. Many Arab American voters are believed to have supported Trump, with the remainder split between Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris and Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein.

Although Trump could easily have won without their support, Arab and Muslim voters formed a key constituency for the president-elect and helped fuel his return to the White House.

Even before incumbent President Joe Biden stumbled during his debate with Trump in Atlanta, Georgia, two growing movements led by Arab and Muslim Americans raised the specter that Biden could not defeat the former president, a prospect the mainstream American media largely rejected at the time. The Abandon Biden movement and the Uncommitted National Movement energized voters to make their concerns about the Biden administration’s unconditional support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza a catalyst for change.

Although the mainstream news media pretty much ignored the protests led by Abandon Biden and Uncommitted, their frustrations with Biden’s policies and, later, Harris’ failure to take their anger over Gaza seriously helped set the stage for the Democratic Party’s defeat on Nov. 5.

Harris’ failure to take their anger over Gaza seriously helped set the stage for the Democratic Party’s defeat

Ray Hanania

The formation of Abandon Biden and Uncommitted helped to energize Arab and Muslim communities to vote in a way that had not been seen since Arab American Institute President Jim Zogby and the Rev. Jesse Jackson elevated the Arab voice at the Democratic National Conventions in 1984 and 1988.

Arabs and Muslims are traditionally conservative constituents who embrace issues such as family values, oppose the promotion of gay, lesbian and transgender rights in schools and place a high value on religion in education, which would seemingly align them with the Republican Party. However, over the past several decades, Arab Americans have often gravitated toward the Democrats, who have been more liberal in their rhetoric about Arab and Palestinian rights and in opposing Islamophobia.

Biden sought to reenforce those allegiances in the wake of Trump’s first term in office, citing his rival’s rhetoric of “banning” Muslim immigration into the US. Although Trump did often cite his “Muslim ban,” it was a limited and exaggerated phrase that targeted immigrants who came from seven Muslim-majority nations where war and conflict undermined the immigration vetting process.

During his campaign ahead of the 2020 election, many Arab and Muslim Americans responded keenly to Biden. He even released a comprehensive policy document titled “Joe Biden and the Arab American Community: A Plan for Partnership.” This plan outlined several commitments aimed at addressing the concerns of Arab Americans and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.

After his election victory, Biden ended Trump’s so-called Muslim ban and named more than two dozen Arab Americans to various positions in the White House and the State Department.

The Abandon Biden and Uncommitted movements deserve recognition for energizing Arab and Muslim voters

Ray Hanania

Among the appointments was Maher Bitar, who was named senior director for intelligence programs at the National Security Council. Bitar had previously served as director for Israel and Palestinian affairs during the Obama administration and as general counsel for the House Intelligence Committee. He was joined by Hady Amr as deputy assistant secretary for Israeli and Palestinian affairs within the State Department, Gwen Graham as assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs at the Department of Education and Ismael Ahmed, who was nominated to serve on the National Council on the Arts.

Despite their positions in government, however, most of these appointees were prohibited from speaking publicly, particularly after the Gaza conflict exploded on Oct. 7, 2023. And while Biden has continually expressed support for the two-state solution to end the Israel-Palestine conflict, he has not taken any significant steps to implement a plan in the face of the growing extremism in Israel’s government.

The Abandon Biden and Uncommitted movements deserve recognition for energizing Arab and Muslim voters, as revealed by an October YouGov poll commissioned by Arab News. It indicated that 87 percent of Arab Americans planned to vote in the election, with a slight 2 percent preference for Trump over Harris. That difference appeared to be sustained throughout the remainder of the election campaign.

Despite being marginalized by many media pundits, Arab and Muslim Americans increased their engagement and that had a positive impact in growing their voter base. It is now also helping to fuel candidacies in local elections across the country. Many Arab and Muslim Americans are declaring their candidacies for elections not only in Michigan, but also in Illinois, Texas, Florida, New York and California.

While Arab and Muslims may not have been the tipping point that gave Trump his big election win, they certainly created an environment that energized voter activism in their communities.

• Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. He can be reached on his personal website at www.Hanania.com. X: @RayHanania