Arabs in Michigan protested Biden’s Israel policies and “messed up”
This fact-check may be outdated. Consider refreshing it to get the most current information.
Executive summary
Arab and Muslim Americans in Michigan staged repeated protests and an organized “uncommitted” protest-vote campaign to signal deep anger at President Biden’s support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war; local turnout and organized campaigns meant more than 100,000 Michiganders chose “uncommitted” in the Feb. primary, and community leaders met (and sometimes refused to meet) with Biden aides in attempts to mend ties [1] [2] [3]. Reporting across AP, NPR, PBS, CNBC and others documents both street protests and a coordinated political response — not a single monolithic movement, but a mix of protest, local political organizing and electoral signaling [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. What happened on the ground: protests, meetings and refusal to engage
Protests occurred in Dearborn, Detroit and Warren as Arab and Muslim Americans demonstrated against U.S. support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza; dozens turned out at some White House meetings and larger rallies occurred in downtown Detroit, while some community leaders refused to meet Biden’s campaign team when it visited Michigan, signaling a rift between grassroots protestors and the administration [4] [5] [8]. The Biden team did send senior aides to meet with Arab American and Muslim leaders in suburban Detroit in February in an effort to repair political ties; some attendees described the discussions as “intense” and direct [3].
2. Organized political push: “uncommitted” and the Abandon/Listen campaigns
Local organizers framed the protests not only as street demonstrations but as electoral leverage: campaigns such as Listen to Michigan and Abandon Biden urged Democrats to mark “uncommitted” on the primary ballot to register displeasure with Biden’s Gaza policy, and those efforts translated into a substantial protest vote in the state primary [6] [9] [2]. National and local reporting highlights organized budgets and community leaders promoting the uncommitted option as an explicit alternative to abstaining or switching to a Republican — a tactical protest intended to send a clear message to the White House [10] [6].
3. How big and consequential was the backlash?
Multiple outlets note Michigan’s Arab American population is politically significant — they helped Biden carry the state in 2020 — and that tens or hundreds of thousands of Arab and Muslim voters could affect results: Michigan’s 2020 margin was narrow enough that shifts matter, and more than 100,000 voters selecting “uncommitted” in the primary was reported as a notable expression of anger [2] [1] [7]. Analysts cautioned that some residents planned to stay home rather than vote Republican, suggesting the protest could depress turnout rather than hand votes to Trump [9].
4. Message and motives: beyond Gaza to longer grievances
Coverage emphasizes that the current protests are rooted in long-standing feelings of invisibility and grievance among Arab Americans — Gaza was a tipping point but not the sole concern. Sources report community leaders saying the war crystallized accumulated frustrations about being ignored on U.S. foreign policy and domestic inclusion, which shaped both demonstrations and the uncommitted campaign [9] [11].
5. Competing narratives and political spin
News outlets present competing frames: community activists and local leaders portray protests and protest votes as moral and political pressure; Biden aides framed the meetings as outreach to listen and produce tangible steps [3] [4]. Conservative outlets emphasized electoral threat language and campaign budgets for protest efforts [10]. Different outlets also emphasize different magnitudes and interpretations of the effect on the general election — some warn of a real deficit for Biden, others point to likely non-Republican outcomes like abstention or third‑party votes [7] [9].
6. Limits of the record and what reporting does not say
Available sources do not mention any single unified demand or list of negotiated concessions that resulted from the Michigan meetings; they report “intense” talks and calls for a cease-fire or restrictions on aid but do not document a binding policy change from the administration [3] [11]. Sources also do not provide a definitive causal attribution of how the “uncommitted” primary protests translated into general‑election vote shifts beyond aggregated turnout and analyst warnings [2] [9].
7. Bottom line for readers
What looked like “messing up” in political spin is a coordinated mix of public protest, electoral signaling and community negotiation: Arab and Muslim Michiganders staged visible protests, organized an “uncommitted” campaign that produced a large protest vote in the primary, and forced meetings with Biden aides — all documented across AP, NPR, PBS, CNBC and other outlets [4] [5] [6] [7] [3]. Interpretations differ: activists say it’s moral protest and leverage; political analysts warn it could harm Biden electorally; the administration described outreach efforts to respond [9] [10] [3].