GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) 鈥� insisted it was time to 鈥渆nd the suffering鈥� in the Middle East while visited one of the nation's only Muslim-majority cities on Friday as the dueling presidential contenders fought for a small but pivotal bloc of Arab American voters in swing-state Michigan.
In a rare reference to Israel's fight against Hamas and Hezbollah, Harris said, 鈥淭his year has been very difficult, given the scale of death and destruction in Gaza and given the civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon.鈥� She said the death of 鈥渃an and must be a turning point.鈥�
鈥淓veryone must seize this opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home and end the suffering once and for all,鈥� she said.
Trump, meanwhile, avoided any specifics about his plans for the Middle East, but he said he didn鈥檛 think the Arab American community would vote for Harris 鈥渂ecause she doesn鈥檛 know what she鈥檚 doing.鈥�
Later, he fought through technical glitches that silenced his microphone for almost 20 minutes at a rally in Detroit.
Michigan is one of that, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, will help decide the election on Nov. 5. Diverse voting blocs are key to winning virtually any swing state, but Michigan is unique with its significant Arab American population, which has been deeply frustrated by the Biden administration's support for Israel's offensive in Gaza following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Trump, who targeting Muslim countries while in office and has vowed to expand the ban if elected again, is trying to capitalize on the community's frustration with the Democratic administration, despite his history of hostile rhetoric and policies.
There were modest signs Friday that he may be making progress.
The Republican nominee visited a new campaign office in Hamtramck, one of the nation鈥檚 only Muslim-majority cities, and was joined there by Mayor Amer Ghalib, a Democrat who has endorsed Trump. Meanwhile, three city council members in the same town have endorsed Harris.
鈥淗is visit today is to show respect and appreciation to our community,鈥� said Ghalib, who presented Trump with a framed certificate of appreciation.
Trump's allies have held meetings for months with community leaders in the state, which Biden carried by less than 3 points in 2020. Asked about the Hamtramck mayor鈥檚 endorsement, Trump said: 鈥淚 mean, frankly, it鈥檚 an honor. I鈥檝e got a lot of endorsements, Arab Americans, from a lot of people.鈥�
Trump has held 15 separate events in Michigan dating back to April, when Biden was still the presumed Democratic nominee. Including a scheduled Saturday event in Detroit, Harris will have visited Michigan 11 times since she became the nominee, according to AP tracking of the campaigns鈥� public events.
And while foreign policy rarely sways U.S. elections, the war in the Middle East is a critical concern for many of Michigan's Arab American voters.
Trump said Sinwar 鈥渨as not a good person" when asked about the Hamas leader's death. Sinwar, one of the architects of the Oct. 7 attack, was killed Wednesday by Israelis.
"That鈥檚 my reaction. That鈥檚 sometimes what happens,鈥� Trump told reporters at the airport in Detroit.
Even as he reached out to disillusioned Arab American voters, Trump suggested he would end efforts to encourage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restrain military operations that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Even though Biden 鈥渋s trying to hold him back ... he probably should be doing the opposite, actually,鈥� Trump said.
Harris highlighted her support from the Arab American community as well.
On Friday, 52 Lebanese Americans endorsed Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, saying in a letter that the voice of their community "will be heard鈥� under the ticket's leadership.
The letter reiterated calls for a cease-fire, and it cited a recent decision by the Department of Homeland Security to extend temporary legal status to Lebanese citizens in the U.S. Such status is made available to people from certain countries marred by war, turmoil or natural disasters.
But Harris has also faced demonstrators protesting U.S. support of Israel in the conflict. During a closed-door meeting Thursday with students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she was confronted by a protester, according to a video posted by a pro-Palestinian student group on social media.
According to the video, as Harris was telling students she was invested in them, a protester interrupted her, asking, 鈥淎nd in genocide, right? Billions of dollars in genocide?鈥�
A phalanx of Democratic governors 鈥� Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Wes Moore of Maryland, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Kathy Hochul of New York 鈥� campaigned with Harris earlier Friday.
Longtime Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, emphasized that the army of top Democrats descending on the state was not a sign of panic, stating, 鈥淲e have to run like we鈥檙e behind.鈥�
鈥淎 lot of people have always said we鈥檙e a blue state. She knows we鈥檙e not. And she鈥檚 not taking us for granted,鈥� Stabenow told the AP ahead of a rally for Harris in Oakland County.
Both Trump and Harris also made a push for union workers and Black voters as they worked every angle for support.
At an appearance at the United Auto Workers Local 652 hall in Lansing, Harris offered a direct message to union members: 鈥淚 will always have your back.鈥�
She warned that Trump would undermine collective bargaining and worker protections.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to get the word out to all the brothers and sisters in labor to remind them what this dude does,鈥� she said before the campaign played a clip of Trump saying it鈥檚 not hard to build a car. 鈥淲e could have our child doing it,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile, Trump talked up his own support among labor unions and criticized the rise of electric cars during a rival event in Oakland County ahead of his evening rally in Detroit.
While visiting a campaign office, Trump said the head of the United Auto Workers 鈥� who has endorsed Harris 鈥� doesn鈥檛 have a clue.
鈥淚鈥檝e saved Michigan,鈥� he said, telling the crowds he would bring back more manufacturing. 鈥淲e鈥檒l end up having those plants built over here instead of in other countries.鈥�
Later, he called Teamsters President Sean O鈥橞rien 鈥渁 great guy.鈥� O鈥橞rien spoke at the Republican National Convention, and his union decided not to endorse Harris, which was viewed as a victory for Trump, given the union鈥檚 past support for Democrats.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 been many decades before they endorsed a Republican. I think they鈥檒l start very soon,鈥� Trump said.
Trump's Detroit event was his first there since While warning what will happen if Harris is elected, he said that 鈥渙ur whole country will end up being like Detroit." The city spent years hemorrhaging residents and businesses, plunging into deep financial problems, before rebounding in recent years.
鈥淲e love Detroit,鈥� Trump said Friday night as the crowd erupted. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to make Detroit great again.鈥�
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Price reported from Detroit, and Cappelletti reported from Lansing, Michigan. Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in New York; Isabella Volmert in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Colleen Long in Washington; and Scott Bauer in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
Chris Megerian, Joey Cappelletti And Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
