Arab Americans are drifting away from supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats as a whole during the Biden-Harris administration, with many defecting to former President Donald Trump and Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
It's a trend that could be a major factor in swing states such as Michigan, which has a large Arab-American population.
The Arab American Institute surveyed 500 Arab American registered voters, which found that Trump and Harris have evenly split the Arab American vote 42-41%, a drop in support from the level Democrats received in 2020.
“Looking more closely, with those that report they are very likely to vote, Trump leads Harris 46% to 42%,” AAI said. "Only 79% of Democrats support Harris, while 89% of Republicans support Trump. Kamala Harris regained much of the support Biden lost after October 7th, but Harris remains 18 points below Biden’s 2020 level of support with Arab American voters.”
At the recent vice presidential debate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz clearly advocated for Israel’s right to defend itself while also pointing to the humanitarian issues in Gaza, essentially mimicking Harris’ comments on the issue from her own debate weeks prior.
Before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, he faced frequent protests and accusations of supporting genocide in Gaza. Harris’ opposition has been less fervent, but aside from her general comments, the fullness of her position on the issue has not yet been worked out.
While some Arab American voters have left Harris for a third party candidate, AAI said Trump has received most of the benefit.
“All the third-party candidates combined receive just 12% of the Arab American vote. Instead, it’s Trump who is the beneficiary of the community’s anger and despair over the Biden Administration’s failure to prevent the unfolding genocide in Gaza,” AAI said.
In late August, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a poll showing American Muslim voters supporting Stein and Harris equally, at 29% each, with Trump at 12%.
