Trump Wins Dearborn Amid Anger Over Israel-Hamas War
DEARBORN, MI — Dearborn voters swung heavily toward Donald Trump in Tuesday's U.S. Presidential Election amid anger in Arab American and Muslim communities over the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas War and deaths in Lebanon and Yemen, according to unofficial vote totals.
In Dearborn, where 55 percent of the residents are of Middle Eastern descent, Trump won 42.48 percent of the vote over Vice President Kamala Harris, who received 36.26 percent, according to unofficial vote totals.
Third-party candidate Jill Stein also received 18.37 percent of the vote, according to unofficial vote totals.
In the November 2020 election, Biden received 68.8 percent in Dearborn while Trump received 29.9 percent.
Trump was endorsed by a slew of Muslim-American leaders in the area. Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi and Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib both endorsed Trump, saying they want a cease-fire in Gaza.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud did not endorse Trump, calling him the "architect of the Muslim Ban," which Trump enacted through executive order in 2017, before courts struck down many provisions of it. The Biden administration ultimately reversed the ban.
Hammoud also refused to endorse Harris, saying to fellow Democrats "your unwillingness to stop funding and enabling a genocide created the space for Trump to infiltrate our communities. Remember that."
Last Friday, Trump visited a halal cafe in Dearborn where he met Arab Americans and vowed to bring peace in the Middle East.
Others, such as the Uncommitted National Movement, have called on the administration for an arms embargo on Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza. But the administration cites Israel as a key ally and believes the country has a right to defend itself after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks.
That group did not endorse Trump, but they also refused to support Harris, arguing that she has not done enough to stop U.S. weapons from reaching Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted Harris multiple times on the campaign trail, including once at a rally in metro Detroit. The hecklers were yelling "genocide" and Harris shot back by saying, "You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I'm speaking."
Along with anger over the Israel-Hamas War, Dearborn residents have also voiced concerns over some LGTBQ+ books they saw as too explicit for public school. The outcry forced the school district to develop new criteria for how books in school libraries will be evaluated and how parents can address concerns they have about specific titles.
