Undecided leaders declare they won't support Harris' endorsement, yet urge caution against voting for Trump.
non-committed factions, nonetheless, advised against casting a vote for the past President Donald Trump. They asserted in a statement that his agenda included proposals to escalate the violence in Gaza and further suppress anti-war protests. Moreover, they were reluctant to suggest a third-party vote due to the possibility of unintentionally aiding Trump in critical swing states.
The presidential race in Michigan, a key Democratic stronghold, is projected to be among the most competitive nationwide. Pro-Palestinian activists have voiced concerns that resentment towards US support for Israel's conflict in Gaza, which commenced in response to Hamas's October 7 attacks and has now resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian casualties, might hinder Democratic voting turnout.
The announcement of the non-committed leaders implies that their allies will not actively advocate for Harris prior to the election.
"Vice President Harris's refusal to modify her stance on unconditional weapon policies or to publicly affirm her support for upholding existing US and international human rights laws has left us unable to endorse her," the group declared, also criticizing her campaign for cozying up to Dick Cheney, the former Republican vice president and architect of the Iraq War, while ignoring the dissatisfaction of anti-war supporters. Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney, a former congresswoman and stern Trump critic, endorsed Harris for president earlier this month.
The disclosure precedes a Harris campaign event with Oprah Winfrey in the Detroit suburbs scheduled for later in the evening. Michigan houses one of the country's largest Arab American populations, which played a significant role in casting over 100,000 "uncommitted" ballots in – a message to Biden – during the state's February Democratic primary.
The non-committed movement leaders, including Abbas Alawieh – a former aide to Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American, and Missouri Rep. Cori Bush – and Tlaib's sister, Layla Elabed, lobbied for a Palestinian American speaker slot at August's Democratic National Convention in Chicago, but their request was rejected by party leaders.
They staged a protest sit-in outside the United Center to challenge the decision, eventually altering their demand to a visit from Harris to bereaved Palestinian American families in Michigan. The campaign allegedly failed to address this request.
The non-committed factions' stance against Trump's politics is rooted in his proposed escalation of violence in Gaza and suppression of anti-war protests. Despite this, the politics surrounding the presidential race in Michigan, especially US support for Israel's conflict in Gaza, could potentially affect Democratic voting turnout.
