Vice President Kamala Harris made a last-minute appeal to Muslim voters in the swing state of Michigan, a group that continues to express anger over the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict in Gaza.
“I want to say this year has been difficult given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza and given the civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon, it is devastating,” Harris said Sunday at a rally in Michigan. “And as president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza, to bring home the hostages, end the suffering in Gaza, ensure Israel is secure, and ensure the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, security and self-determination.”
The remarks came just over a week after multiple Muslim leaders from Michigan joined former President Trump on stage during a rally in Novi, Michigan, to express their support for him, with Trump boasting that he was “thrilled to accept the endorsement of these highly respected leaders.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at Michigan State University’s Jenison Field House in East Lansing on Nov. 3, 2024. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)
Imam Belal Alzuhairi and Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi were among the group of four Muslim leaders to officially endorse Trump on stage, boasting about the former president’s ability to avoid international conflicts.
“We, as Muslims, stand with President Trump because he promises peace, not war!” Alzuhairi said during his remarks. “The bloodshed has to stop all over the world, and I think this man can make that happen. I personally believe that God saved his life twice for a reason.”
During her rally Sunday, Harris said she was “joined today by leaders of the Arab American community,” though the leaders did not join her on stage and it is unclear which leaders she was referring to.
Farah Khan, center, co-chair of Michigan’s Abandon Harris chapter, marches during the No Votes for Genocide rally in Dearborn, Michigan, on Nov. 2, 2024. (Nic Antaya for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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The rally also took place on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, which is located nearly 90 miles northwest of Dearborn, a city with the nation’s highest per capita Muslim population, which has been at the center of resistance to her campaign.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
A large percentage of Michigan’s Muslim population, which in recent years has been a dependable Democratic voting bloc, has spent much of 2024 resisting the party’s presidential candidates. During the state’s primary campaign, a movement to “Abandon Biden” over the president’s handling of the conflict in Gaza led to over 100,000 Michigan residents voting “uncommitted” in place of supporting his bid for re-election.
Vice President Kamala Harris during a campaign event at Michigan State University on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
That movement has since bled over to Harris’ campaign, a reality Trump has tried to capitalize on while pushing a message of ending ongoing wars overseas and bringing peace and stability to the world.
That message has seemingly appealed to some Michigan Muslim leaders.
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“We’re going to stop the wars, we’re going to make the United States safe again, and we’re going to make the world safe,” Bazzi said during his remarks in Novi.
“What a nice endorsement,” Trump said after Bazzi’s speech. “These are great people.”