Muslim, Arab American voters hope to send Biden message about handling of war in Gaza

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• Geoff Bennett:

  A campaign for Michigan voters to boycott President Biden in Tuesday's primary has picked up momentum.

  Some Muslim and Arab Americans are hoping to send a clear message to the president after months of frustration, they say, with the administration's handling of the war in Gaza.

  In Michigan, a winter of political discontent.

• Protestors:

  Free, free Palestine!

• Geoff Bennett:

  Ahead of that state's presidential primary, President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war is top of mind for many Democratic voters.

  Now some Democratic activists and local leaders are organizing a protest vote against the president, encouraging voters to tick uncommitted on their ballots.

• Mohammad Alam, National Chair, American Muslim Political Action Committee:

  Joe Biden failed himself. Joe Biden failed the humanity. So Muslim American community, our message, yes, indeed, February 27 in Michigan, we are voting uncommitted.

• Mahmouda Chowdhuri, Michigan Resident:

  We need to show President Biden and all the other candidates that we support Palestine. We don't support our U.S. tax dollars going towards Israel to ethnically cleanse Palestine.

• Geoff Bennett:

  With more than 200,000 Muslim and Arab American voters in Michigan, their message remains clear. Without them, there's no winning the state.

  Over the weekend, Democratic leaders like Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer urged voters to think about what a protest vote might yield.

• Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI):

  It's important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote that's not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term. I am encouraging people to cast an affirmative vote for President Biden. I understand the pain that people are feeling and I will continue to work to build bridges with folks in all of these communities.

• Geoff Bennett:

  As a Biden-Trump rematch becomes more of a reality after a 20-point victory for Mr. Trump in South Carolina…

  Donald Trump , Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: That is really something. This was a little sooner that we anticipated.

  (Cheering and applause)

• Donald Trump :

  It was an even bigger win than we anticipated.

• Geoff Bennett:

  … it hasn't deterred South Carolina's former Governor Nikki Haley from forging ahead to Michigan.

  Nikki Haley (R), Presidential Candidate: I said earlier this week that, no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president.

  (Cheering and applause)

• Nikki Haley:

  I'm a woman of my word.

  (Cheering and applause)

• Geoff Bennett:

  Haley's still trying to carve out a lane of her own.

• Nikki Haley:

  It is why we must have a new generational leader. And you're not going to get peace if you're like Joe Biden putting your head in the sand or if you're like Donald Trump , where he's saying don't pay attention to the rest of the world, just live in our own little bubble.

• Geoff Bennett:

  And while some Haley supporters in Michigan say they're hopeful…

• Jessica McAtee Michigan Voter:

  I really hope that more voters come out and really support her, because I think that she really represents the new way that we need to go, instead of just going back to what we did with Trump.

• Geoff Bennett:

  … they're not necessarily optimistic.

• Scott Townsend, Michigan Voter:

  So I'm happy to hear what she has to say, but I think, from a numbers perspective, very basic straw poll, for myself, it doesn't seem like the support is there.