Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump is targeting a weak spot of President Joe Biden's, sending a former envoy to meet with Arab donors and activists in Michigan on Tuesday in what will be the first in a series of battleground state meetings to pitch for their support in November, The Washington Post reported Monday.
Ric Grenell, Trump's ambassador to Germany during his presidency, is scheduled to hold a private dinner in Oakland Hills, Michigan, to court Arab Americans who feel betrayed by Biden, particularly for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, according to the report.
In the February Democratic primary, 94% of Michigan Muslims voted "uncommitted" to show their displeasure with Biden. Further, Muslims are planning to either sit out November's general election or support Trump outright, according to the report.
Further, a New York Times poll last week found Trump leading Biden 57% to 25% among Arab and Muslim voters.
Grenell reached out to Dr. Yahya Basha, a Syrian community leader, for assistance in arranging Tuesday's meeting, according to the Post.
"It's too early to say Trump is the one. That's the reason we are hosting an event for his representative, to see how he views the community and what kinds of things he will do," Basha told the Post. "With [the Biden] administration, I was hopeful for a better policy, but unfortunately the delivery was lacking."
Trump associates are organizing similar meetings in other battleground states, too, the Post reported.
"We are going to organize and we are going to do whatever we can financially to support Trump," Pennsylvania Dr. Haytham Albizem, who supported Biden in 2020, told the Post. "What has the Biden administration done for Muslim Americans on any level? The answer is zero."
Grenell is not part of Trump's presidential campaign but is viewed as a candidate for a top national security role in a second Trump administration, according to the Post.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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