Trump's Michigan rally: Focus on swing states and Arab-American voters

Report by Rawad Taha, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

It was no surprise that the Republican nominee Donald Trump's first visit following an assassination attempt was to Michigan—a crucial swing state among the seven in this year's election where Trump leads by just 2.2% according to the latest polls.

Prayers accompanied the departure of Trump's plane from the air traffic control room.

Michigan, once a Democratic stronghold, had not been lost by the party since 1992 until Hillary Clinton's narrow defeat by 10,000 votes in 2016, a pivotal factor in Trump's ascent to the White House.

Democrats reclaimed the state in 2020 when Biden won it by a margin of 154,000 votes over Trump, with the Arab-American vote playing a significant role in the outcome.

In Michigan, people of North African and Middle Eastern descent make up about 3% of the population, numbering over 300,000, including approximately 82,000 Lebanese.

The crowd at Trump's Michigan rally was substantial compared to the turnout Biden managed to attract in the same state just a few weeks ago.

While the Michigan rally predominantly featured white attendees, Trump's campaign is actively seeking to woo the Arab-American vote, especially with Biden's declining popularity following the Israeli-Gaza war.

Trump's son-in-law, Michael Boulos, and his father, Lebanese businessman Massad Boulos, who is the national coordinator for Arab-Americans in the Trump campaign, play a prominent role in efforts to attract Arab-American votes.