Trump also secured endorsements from Arab American mayors Bill Bazzi of Dearborn Heights and Amer Ghalib of Hamtramck, although neither responded to requests for comment.
Bazzi did speak to AFP on election night, celebrating Trump’s win.
For local news publisher Osama Siblani, 70, their silence may stem from embarrassment.
“They have nothing to say, but they have to answer to their constituents,” he said, noting that both mayors face re-election in 2025.
“Trump came here and he lied. He said, ‘I’m going to spread peace and love in the region and in the world.’ And as soon as he got in, he wants to take Canada, he wants to take Greenland, he wants to take Panama, he wants to take Gaza.”
Still, Siblani believes Democrats are to blame for their losses, pointing out that his newspaper, The Arab American News, endorsed neither candidate.
“We are not responsible for this outcome; our price was low,” said comedian and lawyer Amer Zahr, 47, who voted for Stein.
Zahr argued that Harris could have secured Arab American support simply by signaling openness to an arms embargo on Israel.
Instead, Democrats’ condemnation of Trump’s proposals and newfound willingness to talk about “ethnic cleansing” only “validates” the community’s choices by proving the party can be nudged in the right direction with the right incentives, he said.
Luqman, who leans strongly left on issues like the environment and abortion, acknowledged the difficult choice many faced.
“A lot of people held their nose and voted who did not want to vote Republican but did it anyway, and are now open to either party,” she said.
© 2025 AFP
