Mohamed Jaber agonized in a Dearborn ballot box for five minutes before voting Sunday. The Iraqi American had always backed Democrats before.

“Should I do this?” Jaber asked himself. Then he voted for Donald Trump.

The decision Jaber made as early voting wrapped up in the crucial swing state of Michigan was a microcosm of how Arab and Muslim voters are making up their minds in the final days of the 2024 presidential race.

The economy, inflation, and culture war issues are fueling a shift away from the Democratic Party. The war in Gaza looms larger than anything else, according to conversations with two dozen Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan. Many said they were voting for Trump or third parties. Low turnout suggested that others were staying home.

As Jaber put it outside the polling place, “Unfortunately, this time it had to be a single issue: to end the conflict.”

Trump has promised to let Israel “finish the job” in Gaza, and even Arabs and Muslims who voted for him were skeptical that he is really the peace candidate he now claims to be. Still, they said that U.S. policy could hardly get worse after over a year of war that has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.

Some voters also gave credit to Trump, who has a long history of racist, Islamophobic policy and comments, for visiting with Arabs and Muslims in person when Kamala Harris appears to be shying away from their communities.

“I’ve Always Been a Democrat”

In conversation after conversation, Muslim and Arab voters said they were casting their ballots for Trump in response to the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza. Other factors in the shift toward Trump include the economy and cultural issues such as the inclusion of transgender children in youth sports.

“I’ve always been a Democrat. It’s my first time being a Republican,” said Nasser Ahmed Al-Shaibi, a 41-year-old who cast his vote in Dearborn on Sunday. “Hopefully they’ll bring peace and stop the genocide in Palestine.”

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