After Trump’s victory in the presidential race, the Uncommitted National Movement, an anti-war group, voiced its disappointment, critiquing the Democratic Party for failing to respond to its base and prioritize progressive agendas. Since its inception last winter, the group has been calling on the Democrats to act on demands for a ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo on Israel, warning that they would lose support if these demands were ignored.
While the final voting picture for Arab and Muslim Americans is still emerging, there was a noticeable shift in communities traditionally aligned with the Democratic Party. A significant portion of Muslim Americans, 53%, voted for Jill Stein of the Green Party in a nationwide poll by CAIR, with 21% supporting Trump and 20% backing Vice President Kamala Harris.
In Michigan, home to one of the largest Arab American and Muslim populations in the U.S., 59% of Muslim Americans voted for Stein, with 22% voting for Trump and 14% for Harris. Although exit poll data for Arab American voters is not yet available, a poll by the Arab American Institute showed a near-equal split in support between Trump and Harris, at 42% and 41%, respectively.
The founders and supporters of the Uncommitted movement argue that the election results indicate the Democratic Party’s disconnect from its working-class and anti-war voters. Uncommitted leader Lexis Zeidan emphasized that the movement is not over, pledging to continue mobilizing and pressuring the U.S. government until it stops supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed since last October.
Zeidan expressed disappointment at the election results, noting that with Trump taking office, policies are likely to worsen both domestically and in the Middle East, particularly concerning Palestine. She criticized the Democratic Party for failing to adapt and listening to its voter base, opting instead for a continuation of the status quo.
The Uncommitted National Movement spread across over 20 states in the spring, where 700,000 people marked their ballots as “uncommitted” to send a message to Biden. This followed the “Listen to Michigan” campaign, which encouraged 100,000 voters in Michigan to vote uncommitted. As a result, 30 uncommitted delegates were sent to the Democratic National Convention.
Tariq Habash, a former Biden administration policy advisor who resigned over the U.S. stance on Gaza, attributed the shift in Arab American voting patterns to discontent over the Gaza conflict. He argued that the Democrats’ failure to act on Gaza issues alienated vulnerable populations, including Arab Americans, and led to a loss of their usual support.
Despite the Democratic Party not meeting the movement’s demands, Habash sees the Uncommitted National Movement as a success for its grassroots mobilization and for drawing attention to the party’s failings. The movement’s leadership faced internal disagreement over voting plans, with some abstaining from endorsing Harris or any third-party candidate due to strategic concerns.
In the days before the election, an offshoot group, Uncommitted Grassroots, emerged, encouraging support for a third-party candidate. Uncommitted Grassroots accused the original movement’s leadership of betraying the core values of peace and justice by shifting its focus to meet the needs of the Democratic Party.
In response, the Uncommitted leaders clarified that their primary goal was to prevent Trump’s victory, and that abandoning the Democratic Party was never part of their strategy. Zeidan expressed understanding of the anger from Arab and Muslim Americans who voted for Trump after the Biden administration ignored their calls for a ceasefire, but questioned why the Democratic leadership didn’t listen to them.
For Alawieh, the issue of Gaza transcends party lines, noting that both major parties have failed to adopt a pro-peace, pro-justice stance on Israel and Palestine. Zeidan did not specify the next steps for the movement, but reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for Palestinian rights and holding the Biden administration accountable. She expressed hope that this election would serve as a turning point for the Democratic Party to reassess its stance on these issues.
