All posts tagged "michigan"

Can Harris win back Michigan's crucial Muslim vote?

In key swing state Michigan, Democratic voters of Arab and Middle Eastern heritage say Kamala Harris is going to have to win them back, after they were alienated by President Joe Biden's handling of Israel's military offensive in Gaza.

The town of Dearborn, home to 110,000 people and a cultural hub for Arab Americans, could play a decisive role in deciding the fate of the battleground state in November's presidential election.

Members of the community interviewed by AFP said they were willing to hear what the vice president had to say and weigh their options — a marked change from the outright hostility towards Biden.

"We are in listening mode right now," said Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News.Accepting the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention on Thursday, Harris pledged to get a Gaza ceasefire "done" and ensure Palestinians realize their right to "dignity, security, freedom and self-determination."

But there was outrage among pro-Palestinian delegates that their request for a speaker spot at the convention was rejected. The group Muslim Women for Harris-Walz said the decision sent a "terrible message" and announced it was disbanding and withdrawing its support from the campaign.

Harris, who has vowed "not to be silent" about the suffering of Palestinians, recently met with members of the national "Uncommitted" movement that led the charge against Biden during the Democratic primary process.

Although she made no firm promises, leaders said she impressed them with a show of empathy.

At the forefront of concerns are Israel's 10 months of military operations in Gaza, which have devastated the Palestinian enclave since the war began in response to Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Growing influence

Michigan, home to the "big three" automakers — Ford, General Motors and Chrysler — has long been an essential stop for White House aspirants.Economic downturns in the 1970s led many to leave the so-called "Rust Belt" state, just as unrest in the Middle East brought new waves of Lebanese, Iraqi, Yemeni, and Palestinian immigrants.

"We're a global city, where nearly 55 percent of our residents are of Arab background," said Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud in a recent interview. "For many of us, when you talk about what's happening in Gaza, these are our family and our friends.

"Famous as the birthplace of Henry Ford, Dearborn appears at first glance just like any small US city, with its wide thoroughfares and strip malls. But it is also home to the Islamic Center of America — the largest mosque in the country -- and countless Middle Eastern supermarkets, eateries, and coffee shops.

When Siblani first started his newspaper in the mid-1980s, he remembers the then-mayor campaigned on a platform to address the "Arab problem." But as the community's numbers grew, and the children of blue-collar factory workers took up positions as lawyers, doctors, and businesspeople, so too did their political influence.

'Lesser of two evils'

Historically socially conservative, Arab and Muslim Americans heavily favored George W. Bush in the 2000 election. Years of the US "War on Terror" — which saw wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and Muslim American communities put under stricter law enforcement scrutiny — swung them firmly to the Democratic camp.

In 2018, southeast Michiganders elected Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress — a milestone for the community.

Three Arab-American mayors have also recently been elected in suburbs known for historic racism towards non-whites.

Angered by former president Donald Trump's travel ban on Muslim countries, support for Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, and more, Dearborn voters overwhelmingly backed Biden in 2020, helping secure Michigan for the Democrats by a slim margin.

Residents here are tired, however, of being asked to vote for the "lesser of two evils" and instead want candidates who will deliver on demands, such as a permanent ceasefire and an end to the supply of weapons to Israel.

"I think VP Harris has a window of opportunity," said Faye Nemer, a community activist and CEO of the MENA American Chamber of Commerce. "She can either continue President Biden's legacy or set her own agenda."

Arab Americans in Dearborn have been impressed by Harris's pick of Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz has taken a conciliatory approach to opponents of the war, unlike Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who took a hard line against college protesters.

But demands are hardening."We don't want crumbs anymore," declared Soujoud Hamade, a business lawyer and long-time Democrat, who vowed to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein if Harris did not deliver on the campaign trail.

Police remove former Michigan Republican Party chair from GOP convention for trespassing

Even after being officially ousted from her role as chair of the Michigan Republican Party, Kristina Karamo still made an appearance at the Michigan Republican Convention this weekend in Flint. At least, until party officials called the police on her.

On Saturday, the Detroit News' Paul Egan tweeted a video of Flint police escorting Karamo from the premises while she insisted she was doing nothing wrong. Karamo was heard blaming her removal from the convention on "[current Michigan GOP chair] Pete Hoekstra's thugs" and decrying the "corruption" within the state party organization.

Egan wrote that Michigan GOP leaders apparently only called law enforcement after Karamo proved to be uncooperative with their requests: Namely, that she refused to take a seat at the convention and even declined a guest credential. He added that the convention now has a heightened police presence due to what Michigan Republican Party executive director Tyson Shepard described as "the disruptive actions of a few."

In another video taken by Bridge Michigan reporter Craig Mauger, Karamo is seen being led through a doorway from the convention floor while a throng of both supporters and critics surround her. When a man tried to sneak past police to get closer to Karamo, a convention security worker grabbed his arm, prompting a brief scuffle.

After the former Michigan GOP chair was taken outside, police continued to walk with her to her vehicle, clearly agitated by the scrum of reporters peppering her with questions. At one point, while Karamo was describing how she was only at the convention to support a candidate, a female Flint Police Department officer erupted, saying: "OK enough of your campaign. Where is your car?" That officer confirmed to Bridge Michigan reporter Simon Schuster that Karamo was "trespassed."

"You can't stop me from talking! I'm not committing any crimes," Karamo responded. "I'm walking to my car."

Karamo's contentious appearance at her party's convention comes as the former chair continues to dispute that her ouster was legal. A majority of state party committee members voted to remove Karamo from her position in February, and put former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Michigan) in charge.

Republicans in the Mitten State ultimately decided to force Karamo out due to the dismal financial state of the party's finances. In December, eight of Michigan's 13 Republican congressional district party chairs co-signed a letter calling for her removal due to reports that she had driven the state party more than $600,000 in debt.

Karamo — a 2020 election denier who ran a failed campaign for Michigan secretary of state in 2022 — was elected to her position in 2023. However, her short-lived tenure was rife with controversy, particularly due to her inability to get the state party's coffers out of the red in a crucial election cycle. In November, Comerica Bank sent the state GOP a notice of default letter informing Karamo that the party had failed to pay interest on a loan in excess of $500,000.

Watch the videos of Karamo being removed from the convention below, or by clicking this link.

'U lost my vote': Trump's fans respond to his latest statement with criticism and bigotry

Donald Trump has said he could shoot a person in the middle of the street and not lose voters, but he lost at least some after a recent statement that appears to be an attempt to woo disaffected swing-state Muslims.

Trump late on Tuesday evening spread a story about a Michigan police officer who was slain in the line of duty in the swing state. But in part because of the officer's name, Mohamed Said, things went off the rails for the former president.

"23-year-old Melvindale Police Officer Mohamed Said, a true American hero, was gunned down by a suspect he was pursuing last Saturday," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. "Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin described Officer Said as a 'kind soul who proudly served the residents of Melvindale.'"

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Trump then added, "The men and women of law enforcement deserve our respect for the selfless job they do every day serving our communities."

"Pray for Officer Said, his family, and all law enforcement!" the ex-president concluded.

The comments didn't go as Trump had planned.

"Michigan is mostly Muslims, infiltrated via CAIR by Obama," @AlJahn wrote. "Their main tactic is to eliminate police. That's all you need to know."

@Mfnmkr said, "That's a no go zone. Sharia law runs that place. Wake up sheep it's spreading."

"Sounds like Dearborn is infested with Muslims," another user, @Sicaj526, wrote on Trump's post.

"Dearborn is a world class s---hole!" wrote @Patriot_Dad_67. "The middle easterners have taken over the town and made it just like home, riddled with crime and killing."

@Magadonian wrote, "He looks like a terrorist to me. It's the name."

@Marknunya99 said, "Sorry but Mohamad wants all Christians dead. No concern here."

Ryan Deakins, @Ryandeakins, said simply, "U lost my vote."

'I think he should stay in': Swing state voters on CNN change position after Biden presser

Some members of a panel of Democratic and independent voters on CNN changed their position on whether president Joe Biden should stay in the presidential race after the president's press conference Thursday, saying he assuaged their concerns.

A panel of seven women in Michigan was interviewed just after Biden's press conference, which included a "very telling" component, saying they still support the president over Trump. Two of them initially said that they were unsure if Biden should stay in the race, but after the speech, they changed their tune.

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CNN's Anderson Cooper turned the spotlight on CNN national correspondent Gary Tuchman, who watched Biden's press conference with the group of women in the key swing state. Five out of the seven women said it was better than they expected it to be, while two said it was they same as they expected.

The two individuals who weren't sure if Biden should stay in changed their mind, with one saying she is "relieved" while another said he is "the logical choice" for Democrats.

Watch the video below or click the link.

Biden holds L.A. fundraiser as Trump courts Michigan

President Joe Biden brushed aside jet lag Saturday, flying straight from the G7 in Italy to Los Angeles to a star-studded fundraiser bringing millions of dollars for his election fight against Donald Trump in November.

The president was joined by Barack Obama, the previous Democratic commander-in-chief, at an event which included remarks by actors Julia Roberts and George Clooney, as well as singing icon Barbra Streisand.

Despite the Hollywood heavyweights, Biden turned serious when he spoke of his rival Trump, and how whoever wins the election will likely have at least two new Supreme Court nominations to make.

“The idea that if he’s reelected he’s going to appoint two more flying flags upside down,” Biden said, referring to recent tumult over a conservative sitting justice who was recently confirmed to have had an inverted American flag — a symbol of Trump’s false election fraud claims — raised outside his home in 2021.

Trump — making an unprecedented bid to win back the White House while running as a convicted felon — was also on the campaign trail, boasting in Detroit, Michigan that his own fundraising is “the highest in the history of politics.”

Michigan is a must-win state for Biden in November’s electoral mathematics.

Aiming to eat into Biden’s key electoral support from African Americans there, Trump visited a Black church in Detroit and told hundreds of voters that “crooked Joe Biden has done nothing for you except talk.”

Trump then headed to a starkly different venue: a convention of high-profile hard-right Republicans and supporters of his attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

At the Turning Point USA convention, Trump railed against Biden’s climate protection package, mocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “salesman,” and renewed his incendiary rhetoric about what he branded the “Biden migrant invasion,” saying he will stop it with the biggest deportation operation in American history.

In a characteristically rambling 80-minute speech — frequently interrupted by loud cheering — Trump claimed that help for migrants leaves US war veterans “lying in the streets,” and veered into everything from extended complaints about modern showers to repeating his lie that his 2020 election loss was “rigged and stolen.”

“We have a rigged country. We have rigged elections, we have open borders,” he said.

Glitz

Biden, meanwhile, was hoping to inject star power and hard cash into his battle.

Hollywood stars joined Obama for the gala evening that Biden’s campaign says has already raised $28 million.

“It’s the largest Democratic fundraiser ever,” Clooney said.

Outside the fundraiser, groups of chanting protesters were kept away by a phalanx of police in riot gear.

Obama meanwhile took the stage with Biden, his former vice president, for a conversation moderated by late-night US comic Jimmy Kimmel.

“We have someone to worry about,” Obama told donors, referring to Trump. “And there’s a whole agenda that we should be concerned about. But we can take pride in affirming the extraordinary work that Joe has done.”

Biden’s turn with the stars means he skipped a huge international peace conference for Ukraine Saturday in Switzerland, with Vice President Kamala Harris attending instead.

The glitz marked a change for 81-year-old Biden after a recent run of grueling foreign travel and geopolitics focused on the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

At the Group of Seven rich nations summit, Biden helped seal a deal for a $50 billion loan for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets, and signed a 10-year security accord with Zelensky.

The week before he was in Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings.

Biden was accompanied on arrival in LA by relatives including daughter Ashley and granddaughters Maisy and Naomi. The show of family support comes at a difficult time for Biden following the conviction this week of his son Hunter on gun charges.

Fundraising battle

Biden’s shift to US electioneering also marks the start of a more intense campaign phase ahead of November’s knife-edge election.

Polls show him and Trump largely neck-and-neck, with many voters turned off by a rematch between the nation’s oldest president and a 78-year-old convicted felon.

They have been in a fundraising battle too, with Biden raking in more for months but Trump doing better recently as supporters rally over the guilty verdict in his porn star hush money trial.

The two are also gearing up for the first blockbuster debate of the campaign, on June 27.

The Democrat is expected to go on the offensive on issues like abortion and democracy where his campaign thinks Trump is vulnerable.

But he will also be preparing for how to deal with full-frontal personal attacks by the former reality TV show host.

Michigan Republicans' Senate nominee petitions 'infected' with fake signatures: complaint

A complaint filed with Michigan election officials by Democrats urges an investigation of several Republican Senate candidates for alleged signature fraud, reported Bridge Michigan on Friday.

"In a Friday letter to the Michigan Board of State Canvassers, attorneys for the Michigan Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee asked election officials to investigate nominating petitions submitted by Republican U.S. Senate candidates Mike Rogers, Sandy Pensler and Justin Amash, as well as former candidate Peter Meijer," reported Lauren Gibbons. "The request claims that the candidates’ submissions appear to be 'infected' with potentially fraudulent signatures, pointing to instances of petition sheets that appeared to be filled out by only one person, voters’ names appearing across multiple petitions in different handwriting and mismatches in petition circulator handwriting as evidence that the petitions warrant further review."

Republicans have denounced the challenge, with Pensler's spokesman saying, “Democrats can’t beat Republicans at the ballot box so it looks like they are trying to eliminate Republicans from the ballot.”

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But this wouldn't be the first time signature collection has caused problems for Michigan Republicans. In 2022, five out of ten Republican candidates challenging Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer were kicked off the ballot after it was discovered they relied on 68,000 names from fraudulent circulators, which ultimately led to media personality Tudor Dixon being chosen as the nominee.

Nor is the issue entirely limited to Republicans, noted the report: "Two years later, invalid signatures may again derail important campaigns, including former state Sen. Adam Hollier's primary challenge to Democratic U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar. Staff in the Wayne County Clerk’s office this week recommended against certifying Hollier's signatures."

The Michigan Senate election is an open seat, with the retirement of longtime Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Democratic candidates for the race include Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and also actor Hill Harper.

‘Clear indication’: Dems accuse GOP congressional candidate of illegal super PAC ties

Michigan’s state Democratic committee has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accusing a Republican congressional candidate of illegally coordinating with a super PAC funded by his brother, Raw Story has learned.

The letter, from Michigan Democratic Party Chairwoman Lavora Barnes, questions the circumstances surrounding what initially appeared to be a $1 million contribution by Paul Hudson, a Republican candidate for Congress in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, to the West Michigan for Change super PAC, which is supporting his candidacy.

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Because Paul Hudson is wealthy, the complaint says, the contribution itself “while unusual … was plausible.” A reporter for the Detroit News spotted the donation, listed on a public FEC filing, and reached out to Hudson’s campaign to ask about it.

But within 30 minutes of receiving the Detroit News inquiry, Barnes’ complaint alleges, West Michigan for Change amended its FEC filing to say the $1 million did not come from Paul Hudson but from his brother, Ryan Hudson.

Paul Hudson’s campaign did not respond to Raw Story’s request for comment. Ryan Hudson couldn’t be reached.

Today, I was out knocking doors and chatting with voters in Plainfield Township!

It was great listening to voters on the issues that matter to them and for me to share my plan to lower taxes, rein in spending, and secure our southern border.

See you out on the campaign trail! pic.twitter.com/oqA6K1Byt5
— Paul Hudson (@PaulHudsonMI) April 24, 2024

The FEC does not generally confirm the existence of legal complaints or investigations until it formally concludes an investigation. An FEC spokeswoman said she could not confirm whether or not the FEC received the letter.

It’s illegal for federal political campaigns to directly coordinate with a super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money. Super PACs can’t give directly to a federal campaign but can indirectly support candidates through their own advertising and advocacy.

Barnes’ letter called the Michigan case a “clear indication of coordination.”

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“Notably, the correction in the reported donor was made within 30 minutes after the campaign was contacted by the media for comments, but before any contact was made with the Super PAC by the media,” the letter said. “This suggests that the campaign was aware of the filing details of the Super PAC, an action that may indicate coordination, which is prohibited.”

Barnes is asking the FEC to investigate the Hudson transaction and “any financial transactions or shared strategy discussions that might further demonstrate coordination beyond what is permissible under current campaign finance laws.”

The FEC is a bipartisan regulatory agency that can issue civil fines and other non-criminal penalties for federal campaign finance violations.

But the FEC’s six-member commission — no more than three members may be from one political party — often disagree along ideological lines and deadlock on high-profile matters.

The investigation and disposition of a single complaint will often take the FEC months, and sometimes years, to complete.

Michigan's congressional primary is Aug. 6. Hudson is running in a Republican primary against three other candidates, according to election tracker Ballotpedia, with the winner poised to face the winner of the Democratic primary, which will likely be Rep. Hillary Scholten, a freshman member of the U.S. House.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as "competitive," but barely, predicting a "likely Democrat" winner.

Trump wins party vote in 3 states, edging toward nomination

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump on Saturday inched ahead in his quest to become the Republican Party's presidential nominee, winning internal party elections in the states of Missouri, Michigan and Idaho, U.S. media reported.

The former president has now won every state nominating contest heading into next week's "Super Tuesday," when voters in 15 U.S. states choose their preferred candidate for each party.

Trump has gained huge momentum in the race to capture the Republican nomination at the party convention in July and Tuesday is expected to all but secure the result.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib endorses protest vote against Biden in Michigan

DETROIT — U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib is endorsing the campaign urging Michigan Democrats to vote "uncommitted" in the Feb. 27 presidential primary in protest of President Joe Biden's policy in Gaza.

In a video posted to social media Saturday, Tlaib said it's important to not just march against the "genocide" in Gaza but to form a voting bloc to affect change.

"Something that is a bullhorn to say enough is enough. We don't want a country that supports wars and bombs and destruction. We want to support life. We want to stand up for every single life killed in Gaza," Tlaib said.

'Who is she?' Trump once again attacks E. Jean Carroll at Michigan rally

It appears that Donald Trump did not learn his lesson after the former president was ordered to pay more than $80 million in a defamation case brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll, who was found to have been sexually assaulted by Trump in the mid-1990s.

Trump took the stage on Saturday at a Get Out the Vote Rally in Waterford Township, Michigan. He began by ranting about the outcome of his recent civil fraud trial, where he was hit with an order to pay hundreds of millions of dollars and limit his business practices in New York state.

After discussing the fraud case, Trump turned to Carroll's verdict.

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"How about the one two weeks ago?" Trump asks the crowd Saturday evening. "A woman, I'm saying, 'Who the hell is she? Who is the woman?' It's so unfair what's happening in our country. Our court system is a mess."

He added, "What's happening in our country, they have to straighten it out."

Carroll has already held Trump to account twice for assaulting and defaming her. After the first case, the former president was ordered to pay $5 million. The second trial resulted in a much larger sum, with the jury saying Trump owes Carroll more than $80 million. Trump has vowed to appeal those results, but legal experts suggest success for Trump would be extremely difficult there.

For her part, after the last massive verdict in her favor, Carroll has not discounted the idea of a third lawsuit against the former president. She has indicated that she will listen to her well-respected attorneys and, if they suggest such a filing is warranted, she would go for it.

Watch the video below or click the link right here.