By ggablog 
Dearborn, Michigan, long a Democratic stronghold with its large Arab American community, is shifting politically as frustration grows over the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. This discontent could impact the tight presidential race in battleground Michigan.
On November 1, 2024, Trump supporter Hassan, a Dearborn resident originally from southern Lebanon, displayed his allegiance with a “Trump 2024” banner outside The Great Commoner, a Lebanese American-owned restaurant. Trump’s last-minute stop in Dearborn, the largest Arab-majority city in the U.S., highlights Michigan’s critical role in the election, as Arab American votes become pivotal.
Although Trump’s past policies—like the 2017 “Muslim ban”—strained his relationship with Arab American voters, his recent stance as a “peacemaker” has resonated with some, while others, like community organizer Layla Elabed, feel betrayed by the Democratic Party’s policies. Elabed, along with other disillusioned voters, says the Democrats’ unyielding support for Israel has alienated Dearborn’s community, pushing some toward Trump despite misgivings.
As the race tightens, Elabed and others emphasize that the burden of winning over Arab American voters lies with the candidates. Trump’s outreach to Dearborn reflects this, while Democrats face criticism for neglecting an increasingly frustrated constituency in a key swing state.