This week, a well-known Trump adviser faced a room full of Arab American activists from around the nation who were outraged by President Joe Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war and asked what the former president would have done differently if he had been in office.
Richard Grenell, Trump’s former ambassador to Germany, regularly cited Trump’s governance record, claiming that other countries’ fear of him reduced international violence. However, two people in the room claimed Grenell did not deliver the exact policy changes they expected, leaving at least one leader unsatisfied and unconvinced.
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The nearly two-hour meeting marked the start of increasing contact by Trump loyalists in swing state Michigan, where major members of Biden’s coalition are upset with him over Israel’s offensive in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack. However, many Arab Americans may restrict Trump’s seeming political chance by criticizing the former president’s ban on immigration from numerous, mainly Muslim nations, as well as remarks they found offensive.
“We appreciate the outreach,” said Khaled Saffuri, an Arab American political activist who was present Tuesday night. “But it won’t be easy to convince the community to switch from Biden to Trump, because even though we are angry with Biden, many still have a bad taste in their mouth from the four years of Trump.”
Michael Boulos, the husband of Trump’s daughter Tiffany, and his father, Massad Boulos, a wealthy Lebanese businessman, joined Grenell at the meeting. Palestinian American UFC fighter Belal Muhammad also attended the gathering, which was not an official campaign event.
Nearly 40 Arab American activists gathered from throughout the country. Some already support Trump, while others came to hear directly from his surrogates, according to Yahya Basha, a Michigan doctor who attended.
“I believe most people were there to hear what particular policy changes Trump would implement. It was a lot of back and forth with questions,” said Basha, who left the meeting undecided about any contender for November.
Grenell was questioned about a travel ban on mostly Muslim nations imposed during Trump’s presidency, which he claimed was never established, according to Saffuri. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a major Middle East adviser throughout his administration, also questioned Grenell about recent remarks regarding the potential of Gaza’s “waterfront property.”
Grenell “never addressed correctly” the Gaza issue, according to Saffuri.
“Most of the concerns went unanswered, and I didn’t expect such a conference to address these issues in depth. That demands some consideration. But at the very least, engaging the community is a step forward,” said Saffuri, who leans Republican but voted third party in 2020.
Ammar Mousa, a spokesperson for Biden’s campaign, said in a statement in response to the meeting that Trump is “the biggest threat to the Muslim and Arab community” and that he is “openly speaking about allowing Israel to bomb Gaza without any regard.”
“President Biden, on the other hand, is working tirelessly towards a just and lasting peace,” stated Moussa.
Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, Massad Boulos, said he gave a speech about his experiences as an immigrant and how they shaped his conservative ideals. He also showed a more personal side of Trump, highlighting his “love and admiration for the Middle East in general,” according to Boulos.
“And then we discussed the need to organize ourselves, get ready for November, and mobilize our respective communities,” Boulos stated in a recent interview.
According to Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Trump and meeting organizer, Tuesday’s meeting in Michigan was only the beginning of many larger events between Trump supporters and Arab American leaders. Bahbah, who was present at the meeting, stated that he has already scheduled further meetings.
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that while the campaign did not solicit the meeting, they “will continue to communicate with those voters and remind them that President Trump’s policies in the Middle East have brought that region historic levels of peace and stability.”
Arab Americans have predominantly supported the Democratic Party in recent years, but they are upset with Biden for refusing to call for a permanent truce and withdraw all aid to Israel. With one of the country’s largest Arab American populations, Metro Detroit has become a target of criticism due to its electoral importance in the battleground state.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s offensive following the October 7 attack has killed about 35,000 Palestinians, with no distinction made between fighters and noncombatants.
The resentment has spread beyond Arab American voters to other groups, particularly young voters, as evidenced by major protests on college campuses around the country. A movement to vote “uncommitted” as a protest in Democratic primaries has received hundreds of thousands of ballots around the country, including 18% of the vote in Kentucky’s Democratic primary on Tuesday.
