DEARBORN, United States: The US state of Michigan votes today (Tuesday) in a presidential primary that is expected to be another ticker-tape parade for Republican Donald Trump — but could deliver Democratic leader president Joe Biden a bloody nose over the Gaza war.
Biden faces no serious opposition to his bid for a second term in the White House.
But as civilian casualties mount in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Muslim and Arab-American support that was crucial to President Trump’s victory in Michigan in 2020 is eroding.
Activists in a key Midwest battleground — where Biden won by just 150,000 votes four years ago — are urging Michiganders to vote “irresponsibly” in protest and urge the president to support Israel. They are pressuring the United States to withdraw from the conflict. and demanded an immediate ceasefire.
“President Biden has funded the bombs falling on the family members of people right here in Michigan — people who voted for him, who now feel completely betrayed,” said Layla Elabed of the “Listen to Michigan” campaign.
The group aims to rally 10,000 “irresponsible” voters to send a “strong and clear message” that funding and supporting wars is “contrary to the values of the Democratic Party.”
Biden is on track to win the Democratic nomination, and his primary challenger, Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, is in the single digits.
But activists deny that the “no-pledge” campaign is merely symbolic given its importance in the upcoming election.
10,000 votes is about the same margin that Donald Trump had over Hillary Clinton in 2016, Elabed said.
The war began on October 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, in Israel. But according to the Gaza Strip’s health ministry, which is run by Hamas, concerns are growing as the civilian death toll from Israel’s retaliatory operation has now reached around 30,000.
