On Sunday, Michigan’s elected Democrats expressed concern about how the president would fare Joe Biden will address the state before Tuesday’s primary, citing calls from the left for Michigan Democrats to vote undecided about his approach. Israel-Hamas war.
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who served as a surrogate in Biden’s re-election campaign, was asked about divisions within the Democratic Party, such as Democratic lawmakers, over the Israel-Hamas war. Rep. Rashida Tlaib urges voters to cast a no-loyalty vote in protest of Biden’s response to the war.
“How many unresolved votes do you think we’ll see on Tuesday? How worried are you?” CNN anchor Dana Bash asked Whitmer.
Whitmer responded that he was “not sure” how Tuesday’s primary would fare, noting that Michigan has a “robust” Arab, Muslim and Palestinian community, as well as a “robust” Jewish community.
“We’ve lived in harmony as neighbors for decades and there’s a lot of pain in all these communities because of what’s happening halfway around the world,” he said, adding that he expected to see “differences of opinion” reflected. primaries and emphasized that he does not want voters to “see any vote not cast for Joe Biden as supporting a second Trump term.”
But Whitmer also acknowledged the “pain” people felt during the Israel-Hamas war.
“I encourage people to vote for President Biden. I understand the pain that people are feeling and I will continue to work to build bridges with people and all of these communities because they are all important to me.” he said. “They’re all important to Michigan, and I know they’re all important to President Biden.”
It was pressed whether it was prepared for one Whitmer, who said a large portion of the primary vote did not carry over in protest of Biden’s handling of the war, reiterated that he was not sure what to expect due to the earlier-than-usual state run, potential weather-related events and the fact that Michigan is a state. it is close to the election”.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., also raised concerns about voter turnout in the state’s primary elections when asked if it was a mistake for Biden not to. He met with representatives of the Arab American community during his time Last trip to Michigan.
“Look, I believe he’s going to have to do that at some point down the road. This community is pretty angry right now,” he said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, noting that his own events have been marked by protests.
He asked whether the push for voters to vote “without intimidation” would be “harmful”. [Biden] in a significant way,” Dingell didn’t answer directly.
“So I mean, I know a lot of this community, I’ve lived in Dearborn for many years with my wife and there’s been two campaigns,” he said. “One is the Biden rejection campaign, and the other is the big campaign that’s over a hundred thousand calls, we’ll see how many people vote on Tuesday, we’re trying to make sure the president hears them.”
Dingell said there should be “ongoing conversations” between Biden’s team and the Arab American community, especially since Michigan is considered a “purple state” in the presidential election.
Many on the left have vowed not to vote for Biden, arguing that he has mishandled the conflict in the Middle East. Tlaib, D-Mich., joined progressive activists He urged Democrats to vote against Biden in Tuesday’s state primary, citing differences over the administration’s role in the war between Israel and Hamas. Tlaib, a Palestinian American, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
So far, moderates support Biden’s approach, and they are urging Democratic voters to back him in Michigan’s primary. A centrist Democratic pro-Israel group recently started advertising campaign Ahead of the Michigan primary, urging voters to back Biden because “unthreatened voting hurts Biden, it helps” [former President Donald] Trump and his despicable agenda.”
Representatives from the congressional offices of Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow and Rep. Elissa Slotkin did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC News.