On Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden garnered robust backing from pivotal union autoworkers in Michigan, a crucial element for his reelection efforts. The trip, designed as a jubilation following the endorsement of his reelection bid by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, was, however, accompanied by protests. Members of Michigan’s substantial Arab-American community demonstrated against Biden’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, underscoring their demand for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict and their refusal to engage with the president’s campaign.
In Warren, Michigan, President Biden made a visit to the UAW union hall, where UAW members are gearing up to operate a phone bank in support of his candidacy leading up to the state’s Feb. 27 nominating contest. The UAW President, Shawn Fain, warmly welcomed Biden, having recently expressed wholehearted support for the Democratic incumbent and strongly criticized the leading Republican contender, Donald Trump.
As the crowd chanted, “Joe, Joe,” Fain promised Biden, “We’re going to fight like hell” for him to win the November presidential election.
“Wall Street didn’t build the middle class. Labor built the middle class, and the middle class built the country,” Biden said. “When labor does well, everybody does well.” He later joked: “Besides, you built my ’67 Corvette.”
Maintaining secrecy amidst anticipated opposition, the campaign withheld specific details of the president’s visit until moments before his arrival. Preceding his motorcade, approximately 100 protesters marched towards the UAW location, chanting “Genocide Joe has got to go” and displaying Palestinian flags.
Before his Michigan visit, Biden participated in the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. He expressed commitment to resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict, advocating for a two-state solution for Palestinians. Additionally, he emphasized efforts to bring home hostages still held since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel.
“We are actively working for peace,” he said at the breakfast.
Crucial Union Support: Biden Gains Endorsement Amidst Protests
In preparation for the Nov. 5 presidential election, former President Donald Trump, anticipated as Biden’s Republican rival, strongly criticized UAW President Shawn Fain following his endorsement of Biden. On Wednesday, Trump engaged with the Teamsters, a major union representing truck drivers, airline pilots, and others, as he vied for their support in the competitive electoral landscape.
Michigan’s political landscape is significantly shaped by the deep entwinement of the auto industry and its labor movement. In 2016, Trump achieved unprecedented support from union members, a feat unrivaled since Ronald Reagan in 1980. This backing played a pivotal role in Trump narrowly securing critical states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. However, Biden staged a comeback in 2020, enjoying a roughly 16-percentage point advantage with unions. Reclaiming the Rust Belt states, marked by years of job losses to lower-cost, often non-union locations, Biden won Michigan by a substantial margin of around 154,000 votes.
In the Detroit area, protesters gathered in cars and vans displaying “Abandon Biden” signs and Palestinian flags, preparing to mobilize to any location where Biden appeared during his Thursday visit.
“We’re ready to go. I have my megaphone in the car,” said Farah Khan, a Pakistani-American who voted for Biden in 2020 but now supports the Abandon Biden campaign in Michigan, told Reuters. “We have 92 Abandon Biden chapters across the country. This is bigger than just Michigan.”
Arab Americans constitute 5% of Michigan’s vote, and Biden’s narrow 2020 victory margin over Trump was less than 3 percentage points. A pre-election October poll indicated a significant decline in Biden’s support among Arab Americans, plummeting from 59% in 2020 to 17%. Despite this, Biden’s campaign remains confident that strong backing from union workers, particularly with the UAW’s endorsement, could offset any dip in support from the Arab-American community. A Biden campaign official emphasized the belief that the UAW’s endorsement will carry more weight in November in Michigan than the discontent among Muslim voters.
