By Muslim American leaders who helped deliver key swing states to President-elect Donald Trump, protesting the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, now express deep disappointment with Trump’s cabinet selections, which they say heavily favor pro-Israel hardliners.
“Trump won because of us and we’re not happy with his secretary of state pick and others,” said Rabiul Chowdhury, a Philadelphia investor who chaired the Abandon Harris campaign in Pennsylvania and co-founded Muslims for Trump. Political strategists credit Muslim support for Trump’s victory in Michigan and potentially other swing states.
The mounting frustration centers on Trump’s nomination of Senator Marco Rubio for Secretary of State, who earlier this year opposed Gaza ceasefire calls and advocated for Israel to destroy “every element” of Hamas, calling them “vicious animals.” Trump’s other appointments have similarly alarmed Muslim supporters, including Mike Huckabee, a vocal supporter of Israeli West Bank occupation, as ambassador to Israel, and Representative Elise Stefanik, who branded the UN a “cesspool of antisemitism” for criticizing Gaza casualties, as UN ambassador.
“It seems like this administration has been packed entirely with neoconservatives and extremely pro-Israel, pro-war people, which is a failure on the side of President Trump, to the pro-peace and anti-war movement,” said Rexhinaldo Nazarko, executive director of the American Muslim Engagement and Empowerment Network (AMEEN).
The disappointment is particularly acute following Trump’s extensive outreach to Muslim and Arab American communities during his campaign. He made several visits to areas with large Arab American populations, including Dearborn, Michigan, where he declared his love for Muslims, and Pittsburgh, where he praised Muslims for Trump as “a beautiful movement” seeking peace and stability.
Former University of Minnesota professor Hassan Abdel Salam, co-founder of the Abandon Harris campaign, characterized Trump’s staffing choices as “Zionist overdrive,” adding, “Obviously we’re still waiting to see where the administration will go, but it does look like our community has been played.”
Some supporters had hoped Richard Grenell, Trump’s former acting director of national intelligence who led Muslim community outreach, would secure a key role. Massad Boulos, Trump’s Lebanese American son-in-law’s father, had also met extensively with community leaders, both promising Trump would work for Middle East peace.
However, some Muslim leaders maintain optimism despite the appointments. Bill Bazzi, mayor of Dearborn Heights who endorsed Trump, and Rola Makki, Muslim vice chair for outreach of the Michigan Republican Party, express continued faith in Trump’s commitment to peace.
“I don’t think everyone’s going to be happy with every appointment Trump makes, but the outcome is what matters,” Makki said, noting that “50,000 dead Palestinians and 3,000 dead Lebanese” occurred under the current administration.
The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment about the community’s concerns. The controversy highlights the complex relationship between Trump and Muslim American voters, who supported him largely in opposition to Biden’s Middle East policies despite Trump’s history of controversial statements about Muslims during his first presidential campaign.
REUTERS
