Ameen Almudhari was one of thousands of people in the majority-Arab community of Dearborn, Mich., who helped Joe Biden win the city and defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

Four years later, Mr. Almudhari had had enough.

This week, he joined thousands of other Dearborn residents in voting for Mr. Trump, helping him score a stunning win in a place that seemed an unlikely source of support in the former president’s bid to return to the White House.

Standing next to his 10-year-old son outside an elementary school on the north side of Dearborn on Tuesday evening, Mr. Almudhari, 33, explained his change of heart, part of a remarkable turnabout in Dearborn, which is just outside Detroit.

He was, he said, fed up with Mr. Biden’s support of Israel and Ukraine and said the death and destruction being underwritten by the United States drove his decision to back Mr. Trump.

“The first time we vote for Joe Biden, but what we see right now, he didn’t stop the genocide in Gaza,” said Mr. Almudhari, a Yemeni American, who faulted the president for spending American money to support the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

His son, Khaled, interrupted him with a smiling comment: “Trump will end the war!”

Indeed, Mr. Trump has said as much, and the promise was among a host of reasons cited by voters in Dearborn for the wave of support from Arab and Muslim Americans for Mr. Trump.

  • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    His son, Khaled, interrupted him with a smiling comment: “Trump will end the war!”

    Yeah son, he’s going to end the war alright just hope you like how he’s going to help end it.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/netanyahu-denies-report-he-spoke-trump-about-gaza-talks-2024-08-15/

    In an event later on Thursday about tackling antisemitism, Trump criticized Biden and Harris’ months-long calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.

    “From the start, Harris has worked to tie Israel’s hand behind its back, demanding an immediate ceasefire, always demanding ceasefire,” Trump said, adding it “would only give Hamas time to regroup and launch a new October 7 style attack.”

    Trump added: “I will give Israel the support that it needs to win but I do want them to win fast.”

    In the same event, Trump also labelled pro-Palestinian supporters calling for an end to U.S. support for Israel’s war as “pro-Hamas thugs” and “jihad sympathizers.” He threatened to arrest and deport them from the U.S. if he became president.

  • Nightwingdragon@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    Harris: “I support Israel.”

    Arab-Americans: “We cannot support you because you support genocide.”

    Trump: “I’ll genocide harder. And I’ll throw your asses out of here while I’m at it!”

    Arab-Americans: “That’s our guy!”

    Good job, guys. Let me know how that works out for you.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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    16 days ago

    No, Arab-Americans did not hand Trump the presidency.

    Yes, repeating unnuanced talking points ad infinitem convinces people, regardless of the truth.

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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    16 days ago

    Hey at this point I’m frankly going to point and fucking laugh when these absolute fucking imbeciles scream in horror as Trump gives the IDF fucking daisycutters or something for use in Gaza and the West Bank. Like… holy fucking fuck. You have to be criminally idiotic to buy his bullshit. And you are basically begging for a Darwin Award if you’re an Arab American and you buy his bullshit. It’s shocking, baffling, and rather hilarious if you’re in a disassociative mood.

    • PugJesus@lemmy.worldOP
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      16 days ago

      They deserve the distress; unfortunately, the people actually dying will not deserve the consequences in the least.

      • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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        16 days ago

        I feel bad for the people being killed.

        I do not feel bad for the horror and anguish of Arab American Trump voters that occurs as a result of literally anything Trump does. As the orange man fans like to say: fuck around, find out. Congratulations, dipshits: you’re finding out.

  • Myxomatosis@lemmy.world
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    16 days ago

    “I really hope that what he meant is actually what he’s going to do if he wins president,” she said. “That’s the only thing that literally pushed me to vote.”

    Prepare to be disappointed because Trump is going to help turn Gaza and Lebanon into a giant sheet of glass.