The Muslim Role In The 2024 U.S. Elections
By Yousaf K
The race to win voters has intensified, as the United States’ November 5, 2024, presidential election nears. Republicans and Democrats are battling over various constituencies, but the one that is going to be decisive is the Muslim American community.
Despite being roughly one per cent of the total U.S. population, Muslims are a crucial voting bloc since they reside in toss-up states. These states can be won narrowly by either Republicans or the Democrats due to their swing votes.
The Muslim community has never been more united over a single agenda issue than in this election cycle – Palestine. The candidate expecting to win over this large voting bloc will need to show a clear determination to stop the genocidal war in Gaza.
According to a recent survey conducted in June and July this year, the majority of the Muslim voters in major swing-states, including Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania, anticipate voting come November 5.
The study found that President Biden had largely turned the Muslim community against him, who in last election voted for him in large number. It also concluded that a mere 12 per cent of respondents were in favor of voting for President Biden, before he dropped out of the race.
However, the Muslim voters who have soured on Biden are no major hope for the Republicans either. For Trump, there is only an incremental increase of support from 2020 to 2024. A significant number of Biden Muslim supporters are either shifting support to third parties or remain undecided.
The survey highlights the need to win over this vital community, and there is still time and room for both the parties to act upon their demands. Kamala Harris, the new Democratic President Candidate, has somewhat distanced herself from her predecessor on support for Israel in its war on Gaza. She did not attend the Israeli Prime Minister’s address to Congress in July and made clear her stance on a ceasefire. Additionally, she has said she will not be silent about the suffering in Gaza.
In August, her decision to pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz – who is famously known for his support to the Palestinians – as her running mate, showed her resolve to address the Muslim community’s needs.
On the other hand, the Republican nominee Donald Trump is reaching out to Arab American community. This is a clear departure from his anti-Muslim speeches in his 2016 campaign. His campaign staff has been trying to please Arab voters in swing states. Trump’s youngest daughter’s, Tiffany’s, father-in-law, Massad Boulous, has been pushing to persuade Arabs in Michigan to vote for the ex-president due to perceived failures on Gaza by the incumbent administration.
