US Election 2024: Donald Trump To Become First Major Candidate To Visit Majority-Arab Dearborn, Michigan

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Dearborn, Michigan-the largest Arab-majority city in the US-on Friday.

Also Read: US Election 2024 LIVE Updates: Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in tight contest in Georgia, North Carolina

Metro Detroit has the highest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, with many residing in Dearborn. The city, which President Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin, has experienced significant political unrest, with residents expressing frustration over the Biden administration's response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, AP reported.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been engaging with surrogates to help alleviate tensions in the community, while Trump's visit will be the first by either candidate, as noted by local leader Osama Siblani. Earlier this year, Harris met with Dearborn's Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, but their conversation took place outside the city.

Sam Abbas, the owner of The Great Commoner restaurant in Dearborn, told
the Associated Press that Trump is scheduled to visit his establishment.

Also Read: US Election 2024: 'Will fix problem caused by Kamala Harris, Joe Biden in Lebanon,' says Donald Trump

“We expect some remarks around ending the war and bringing peace to the Middle East,” said Abbas.“I'm not here to get political. I'm not here to tell people which way I'm voting. I am simply here because our family is being slaughtered and we just want to end the war. Stop the bombing.”

Israel launched an invasion of Gaza following Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, and also initiated an invasion of Lebanon to counter Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into Israeli territory. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 43,000 people have died, though the ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its death toll.

The Trump campaign has not commented on the visit. This follows his recent rally in Michigan, where he invited local Muslims onstage. Trump has also received endorsements from two Democratic mayors of Muslim-majority cities.

Also Read: Trump hedges 'bomb' claim as US offers Lebanon aid after explosio

While many Democratic leaders in the community have not endorsed Harris, they hold strong negative views toward Trump and argue that his endorsements do not represent the majority opinion. They recall his call for a“total and complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the country and his travel restrictions on visitors from Muslim-majority nations. Additionally, some note that Trump has indicated he would allow Israel greater freedom to target its adversaries in the region.

Despite this, Democrats are concerned that historically loyal voters might turn to Trump or third-party candidates like Jill Stein-or choose to skip the top of the ballot altogether. This could be crucial in the Michigan race, which both parties consider competitive.

As reported by the Associated Press, Abbas said Trump allies had contacted him several weeks ago about hosting Trump in Dearborn. Before hosting Trump, Abbas said he wanted to see a statement from Trump that he said showed Trump“has the intentions of ending the war and helping us rebuild Lebanon and helping the displaced and the injured.”

Also Read: US Election 2024: Harris on Biden's 'Garbage' remark says she stands firm against voter criticism

That statement came Wednesday when Trump posted on X that he wanted to“stop the suffering and destruction in Lebanon.”

“I will preserve the equal partnership among all Lebanese communities,” Trump said on X.“Your friends and family in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen with peace and stability in the Middle East.”

(With inputs from AP)

MENAFN31102024007365015876ID1108840164