Facebook Ads, WhatsApp Channels and Intimate Meetings: On the Frontlines of Kamala Harris' Desperate War to Win Back Jaded Muslim and Arab Voters
Hours before the election, shops were boarded up.
Nov. 5 2024, Published 11:49 a.m. ET
Kamala Harris has been hustling to win back Arab and Muslim voters in the final stretch of the presidential election.
The Democratic candidate has been utilizing targeted social media ads, WhatsApp channels focused on the war in Gaza, and private meetings focused on her increased support for Palestinians, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Harris has been pining to win back votes from Arab and Muslim voters during her 2024 campaign.
Specifically, Harris' 2024 campaign rolled out Facebook ads aimed at Muslim voters and shared fact sheets featuring her strongest statements on the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, in private gatherings in homes across key swing states like Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, campaign workers have been engaging with voters who may abstain or support Donald Trump because of the Biden administration’s Middle East policies.
Harris is attempting to win over key swing states against Trump with targeted ads, private meetings, and WhatsApp channels.
Arab Americans have largely supported the Democratic Party in recent years, but the Biden administration’s stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon has disrupted the trend.
To emphasize her position, Harris appointed two prominent Muslim Americans, Nasrina Bargzie and Brenda Abdelall, to lead the outreach to Arab and Muslim voters.
Bargzie said in a statement: "There are many people in the Arab American and Muslim communities who are still learning about Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, two people who have worked for decades shoulder to shoulder with these communities.
"We are working to ensure these communities know that they are seen, valued and heard in this campaign."
Trump has used 'Palestinian' as an insult and proposed reinstating a travel ban on primarily Muslim countries.
Harris' campaign has continuously voiced support for Palestinians and called on Israel to uphold international law, while GOP candidate Trump has used the term "Palestinian" as a slur and has proposed reinstating a travel ban on Muslim-majority countries.
However, interviews in recent weeks have shown she doesn't have the full support of many Arab and Muslim voters.
Hussein Dabajeh, a Lebanese American from Michigan who lost relatives in the recent violence in Lebanon, said he's voted Democratic in the past but finds it hard to imagine supporting the party this time around.
He said: "Would you rather your family be banned from entering this country, or would you rather your family be killed by an Israeli airstrike?"
Debajeh also said he would be showing up to polls on Election Day and urging voters not to cast a ballot for Harris.
During Harris' Michigan rally on Sunday, the candidate vowed to end the war in Gaza if elected president.
She said: "As president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza. To bring home the hostages, end the suffering in Gaza, ensure Israel is secure and ensure the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, freedom, security and self-determination."
A win in Michigan would be crucial for Harris, as the state is home to more than 300,000 residents of North African or Middle Eastern descent. President Biden secured the state in 2020 with a margin of nearly 155,000 votes.
The 2020 election also saw Biden winning Pennsylvania with a margin of 80,500 votes and Georgia with roughly 11,700 votes.
Along with Arab Americans, both Harris and Trump have also been focused on targeting Black, Latino, and white college women during their respective campaigns.
Harris' team spent the last 18 months putting together a list of which television shows and podcasts voters liked most in the battleground states.
Meanwhile, the race between Trump and Harris remains close.
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The team assigned every voter in these states a "contactability score" from 0 to 100 to figure out just how difficult that person would be to reach.
Trump's team has focused on what they have labeled the "target persuadables", consisting of younger, more racially diverse people with lower incomes who usually use streaming services and social media.
He has made numerous appearances on those platforms in hopes of grabbing the attention of the younger vote.
Meanwhile, Harris believes she can win over white college-educated voters, mainly women, who have historically voted Republican but are disgusted by Trump.
She has also appeared on numerous shows for interviews, including stops on Call Her Daddy podcast, Howard Stern's radio show, and The View in hopes of grabbing more undecided voters.
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