Joe Biden secures victory in Michigan primary despite voter criticism of his stance on Israel | US News
Joe Biden has emerged victorious in Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary, despite facing a significant protest vote due to his support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
With the majority of votes counted, President Biden secured over 80% of the vote, easily outstripping his rival candidates.
However, nearly 14% of voters, around 100,000 people, chose to vote as “uncommitted.” This protest vote was a response to Biden’s backing of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which some critics have labeled as “genocidal.”
Israel denies allegations of genocide and other war crimes.
These results are a win for campaigners who aimed to garner 10,000 votes for the “uncommitted” category.
This level of dissatisfaction within the Democratic base could have significant implications for the upcoming presidential election in November, especially as Biden narrowly carried the state in the previous election, despite Michigan’s sizable Arab-American population.
President Biden did not mention the protest vote in his victory speech but encouraged his party to unite and defeat Donald Trump.
Biden expressed hope for a ceasefire in Gaza by the upcoming weekend.
Campaigners protesting against Mr. Biden’s position on the Israel-Hamas conflict at a rally in Dearborn, Michigan. Pic: AP
Critics accuse Biden of not advocating enough for peace and argue that Israel’s actions would be curtailed without the military and economic support from the US.
The Michigan campaign group stated: “Our movement achieved a significant victory tonight and greatly exceeded our expectations.
“Many Michigan Democrats, including those who supported Biden in 2020, are undecided about his re-election due to the Gaza conflict.”
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. Pic: AP
Protesters plan to escalate their efforts at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
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Meanwhile, Trump secured the Republican primary in Michigan, winning over 68% of the vote, with Nikki Haley as his main challenger, garnering just over 25%.
Despite this defeat, Haley vowed to continue her campaign, emphasizing a one-state-at-a-time approach.
Trump’s message to supporters emphasized the need to win in November and his certainty of a big victory.
“We win Michigan, we win the whole thing,” he declared.
