Trump to Appeal to Arab-American Voters in Battleground States

Donald Trump, the Republican presumptive presidential nominee, is focusing on a vulnerability of President Joe Biden by sending a former envoy to engage with Arab donors and activists in Michigan. This meeting is the first in a series of battleground state gatherings aimed at garnering support for the upcoming election in November, as reported by The Washington Post on Monday.

Ric Grenell, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Germany, is set to host a private dinner in Oakland Hills, Michigan to reach out to Arab Americans who feel let down by Biden, particularly due to his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. In the Democratic primary held in February, 94% of Michigan Muslims voted “uncommitted” to express their dissatisfaction with Biden. Additionally, Muslims are considering sitting out the general election in November or openly supporting Trump, according to the report.

A recent New York Times poll revealed that Trump is leading Biden among Arab and Muslim voters by a margin of 57% to 25%. Grenell sought the assistance of Dr. Yahya Basha, a Syrian community leader, in organizing the meeting on Tuesday, as per the Post.

“It’s too early to declare Trump as the preferred candidate. This is why we are hosting an event for his representative, to assess his stance towards the community and his proposed actions,” Basha stated. “I had hoped for a better policy from the Biden administration, but unfortunately, it fell short.”

Similar meetings are being arranged in other battleground states as well, according to the Post. Dr. Haytham Albizem from Pennsylvania, who supported Biden in 2020, expressed a shift in support towards Trump, citing the lack of significant action for Muslim Americans from the Biden administration.

While Grenell is not officially part of Trump’s campaign, he is being considered for a prominent national security position in a potential second Trump administration, the Post noted.