'Trump has won over ...': Chunk of Indian-American, Muslim voters ditch Kamala Harris in key battleground state

Former US President Donald Trump

Former US President Donald Trump got an unexpected boost in the final weeks of campaigning as a chunk of Asian voters in Michigan shifted their support towards the Republican candidate. Michigan is one of the seven swing states which can determine the outcome of the hotly contested US elections between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to a PTI report, many Indian-Americans and Muslims, who have traditionally leaned towards the Democrats, are switching their loyalty towards Trump in the battleground state. There are multiple reasons behind this.

Ashok Baddi, a successful businessman from the Indian-American community, feels that Harris's Indian and African roots have failed to strike a chord with the voters.

"She (Harris) never associated herself with the (Indian) community. Harris would not be good for the India-US relationship. On the other hand, Trump has been good to Hindu Americans. He has a very good relationship with (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi," he told PTI.

Baddi added that Trump's administration saw "no war", which meant that the cost of essential commodities did not skyrocket under his administration like it did during the Biden-Harris era.

In the last four years, the world has seen two large scale conflicts - one in Europe in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine and other in the Middle East when regional tensions escalated between Israel and Hamas in October last year.

Trump has been fashioning himself as the leader who can potentially end the war in the Middle East in order to appeal to the broader Islamic community. Last week, he visited Dearborn, Michigan, the heart of the Arab American community, and vowed to end the conflict in the Middle East without saying how.

In a separate social media post on Diwali, Trump criticised the “barbaric violence” against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, saying it would never have happened under his watch.

Bangladeshi-origin Kamal Rahman, advisor to Mayor Amer Ghalib of Hamtramck, Michigan, claimed that at least 20 per cent of the Muslim Americans in Michigan have moved towards Trump this election cycle.

Ghalib, who is the first Arab-American and the first Muslim to govern the city, has recently endorsed Trump.

He said that the economic situation and Trump's stand on LGBTQ are some of the reasons behind the shift. “He (Trump) is not anti-Muslim,” Rahman told PTI.

Sam Matthew, another community leader who has been campaigning for Trump across the state for the past few months, believes that the Republican candidate will win the election in the state despite it being a close contest.

“There is a widespread dissatisfaction with Harris. Trump has won over many of the sections of the people who earlier did not vote for him. We see a surge in support for him," Matthew told PTI.

Both local and prominent voices from the Muslim community reflect a growing dissatisfaction with the Democrats.

Imam Hassan Qazwini, founder of the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights, told The New York Times that she does not know anyone who would vote for Harris. "Many Muslims hoped that Vice President Kamala Harris would show some even-handedness and fairness in handling the conflict. But unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.”

Fatima Klait, nurse who lives in Michigan's Dearborn, told The New York Times that most people she knows are either leaning towards Trump or a third-party candidate. “I would rather have us not be involved in Israel whatsoever. But I do believe that Trump would do less damage overseas.”

Meanwhile, Sunny Reddy, who is running for an at-large seat of the Wayne State Board of Governors, told PTI that the Indian-American votes on Tuesday would be split equally between Trump and Harris.

"It’s a close fight. A large section of Indian Americans has moved towards Trump,” Reddy said.

But both Reddy and Rahman said that the African American communities and workers union are no longer united with the Democrats.

Auto workers are angry with the Democrats because of their push for mandatory electric cars, which they believe would result in automation and large-scale job loss, Reddy said.

A survey released by AtlasIntel, one of the last before the voting day, shows Trump leading over Harris in all the seven swing states. In Michigan, Trump is ahead of Harris 49.7% to 48.2%.

A New York Times/Siena poll shows them locked in close race in Michigan, with both tied at 47%.

(With inputs from agencies)