Donald Trump has been elected the 47th president of the United States after receiving 295 electoral college votes, while Vice President Harris won 226. A candidate needs 270 votes to win the presidency. Winning in several swing states, including Michigan, Trump will begin his second presidential term Jan. 20.

As of press time, with results from Arizona and Nevada not yet in, results show Trump won 73,393,045 popular votes, while Harris won 69,053,463. In Michigan, Trump received 2,802,428 or 49.7 percent, while Harris received 2,720,831 or 48.3 percent.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 44,684 or 0.8 percent of the votes in Michigan.

Voters across the nation cast their ballots in this consequential election with many in the Arab American community having chosen a candidate based on their stance on the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The genocide emerged as a critical issue in this election, with its unprecedented death toll and geopolitical ramifications directly impacting voters’ picks.

Donald Trump speaks on stage in West Palm Beach, Florida, Tuesday, November 5. – Videograb

Dearborn, Dearborn Heights turn RED

As a result, for the first time in decades, the majority of voters in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights — the heart of the Arab American community — voted for the Republican presidential candidate.

Dearborn, a city that has historically voted for Democratic candidates, makes a historical shift as the nation watched to see which candidate would take the majority of the Arab American vote — particularly after growing disapproval with the Biden’s administration’s support for Israel and its lack of action to call for a ceasefire. President Biden won Dearborn in the 2020 election, taking away 68.8 percent of the votes, while Trump only received 29.9 percent. On Tuesday, Trump won the city, receiving 42.48 percent of the votes. Harris received 36.26 percent and Stein received 18.37 percent.

Unofficial general election results in Dearborn from Wayne County.

Dearborn Heights, home to a 39 percent Arab American population, saw Trump receive the highest number of votes as well with 44 percent. Harris won 38.3 percent and Stein 15.1 percent.

Unofficial general election results in Dearborn Heights from Wayne County.

Trump improves in Hamtramck since 2020

Hamtramck, another city with a large Arab American population, saw Trump garner an increasing amount of votes compared to 2020. Harris won Hamtramck as she secured 46.21 percent of the votes, while Trump received 42.69 percent. In 2020, Trump received only 13.4 percent of the vote, with Biden taking the majority.

Unofficial general election results in Hamtramck from Wayne County.

While Trump won Dearborn and Dearborn Heights and fared higher in Hamtramck than in the 2020 election, Harris secured a victory in Wayne County, receiving 62.5 percent of the vote. Trump received 33.6 percent of the votes and Stein took away 2.4 percent.

Both Trump and Harris made frequent trips to Michigan on their campaign trails in an effort to secure this important demographic of voters.

My community and I will continue to hold the White House accountable to policies that will save and improve lives — now and into the future. – Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud

The phrase “voting for the lesser of two evils” has become a recurring sentiment among Arab Americans who headed to the polls as they made the choice between candidates. As they confronted the painful reality that their choice for president could potentially contribute to further destruction in the Middle East, they were faced with a moral quandary.

However, that notion no longer stands for some Arab American voters as they are now rejecting the false dichotomy between “lesser evils” and instead extending their support to a third party: the Green Party. Stein has been a vocal advocate for Palestine, garnering the support of many Arab Americans — along with other voters who are pro-Palestine.

Many Arab American voters stood in line at Dearborn Heights City Hall to cast their votes on Tuesday, November 5. – Photos by The Arab American News

On Election Day, Abbas Almoussa, a Dearborn resident, told The Arab American News that he was voting for Stein because “nobody else is protecting our families, they [the current administration and Trump] are all partners in the war.”

“For a year, she [Harris] could have stopped the war, she did not,” he said. “She will not do any better. And Trump, we saw what he did.”

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud refused to endorse Trump or Harris and urged people to vote with “moral conscience” prior to Election Day.

Trump visited Dearborn days before the election and Hammoud shared his thoughts on his X account:

“The architect of the Muslim ban is making a campaign stop in Dearborn. People in this community know what Trump stands for — we suffered through it for years. I’ve refused a sit down with him, although the requests keep pouring in. Trump will never be my president. To the Dems — your unwillingness to stop funding and enabling genocide created the space for Trump to infiltrate our communities. Remember that.”

After the election results Hammoud tweeted, “The Dearborn community performed its civic duty and voted. Congratulations to all the candidates who engaged in the democratic process.

I give a lot of grace to our people, they’re having very difficult conversations about an election during a genocide. They are traumatized, they’re literally watching their families get slaughtered, and I think they want their vote to matter. They want to punish the Democrats for genocide. – Linda Sarsour, co-founder of MPower Change

“While political pundits analyze the outcomes, here is what I know; votes are never promised to any party or candidate, especially from a community directly impacted by a genocide.

“More importantly, civic engagement does not start and end at the voting booth — the real work is every day before and after an election. My community and I will continue to hold the White House accountable to policies that will save and improve lives — now and into the future.”

An Arab American voter who wanted to remain anonymous said “it’s not about him or her [Trump or Harris], it’s about what happens tomorrow, it’s about what happens moving forward.”

Many Arab American voters stood in line at Dearborn Heights City Hall to cast their votes on Tuesday, November 5. – Photos by The Arab American News

Nadia Saab, an Arab American voter, said she refused to vote for either Trump or Harris due to their foreign policies and support of Israel.

“Both parties aren’t deserving of our votes, no matter who wins; their loyalty is to Israel,” Saab said. “Neither party is willing to change their foreign policy on Israel and have proven that our lives are disposable to them. One side of the ticket is committing genocide; the other side is a convicted felon who moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, calling it the capital of Israel, and also uses ‘Palestinian’ as a racial slur.

“Both parties have played their part in dehumanizing our people, but come election time and they’re in our communities expecting a vote?” she added. “The audacity of them feeling like they deserve anything from our community when they gave us nothing in return except the slaughter of our people. If the Democrats lose, they should blame themselves for committing genocide, not the ones who stand against it.”

Both parties aren’t deserving of our votes, no matter who wins; their loyalty is to Israel. Neither party is willing to change their foreign policy on Israel and have proven that our lives are disposable to them. –Nadia Saab, an Arab American voter in Dearborn.

Khaled Beydoun, an Arab American, law professor and ongoing Palestine activist, told The Arab American News that he voted for Stein.

“My long-term objective is that we see a third-party viable option and break this two-party sort of monopoly,” he said.

He has been staunch in his support for the oppressed, amassing 2.5 million followers on his Instagram account as he continues to share updates on Palestine and Lebanon, remaining a significant informant among the Arab American community.

Linda Sarsour, a daughter of Palestinian immigrants and the co-founder of MPower Change, a Muslim-led grassroots movement, said that her vote was for a write-in candidate in her home state of New York. She regularly visits Michigan to organize through her various initiatives for change and was in town for the election.

She extended sympathy to her community of Arab Americans who are grappling with the weight of this pivotal voting decision and may be questioning if their vote will count in the midst of watching the genocide continue to unfold.

Arab American voters cast their votes at a the Dearborn Administrative Center on Tuesday, November 5. – Photo by The Arab American News

“I give a lot of grace to our people, they’re having very difficult conversations about an election during a genocide,” she said. “they are reactionary, they are traumatized, they’re literally watching their families get slaughtered, and I think they want their vote to matter.

“I think a lot of people have a sentiment of either they want to punish the Democrats for genocide or they want to help build a third party and demonstrate power,” she added. “Or people are saying ‘you know what? No one’s done anything for me — not Republicans or Democrats, and I’m just going to stay home.’ So our job is to say to our community, get up, go to the polls, show them that we are going to vote.”

While the outcome I had hoped for did not come to pass, I want to acknowledge the historic efforts of Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran the shortest presidential campaign in history— just 100 days. I also want to recognize what she has done to pave the way for women of color. Representation is important. – Deputy Wayne County Executive Assad Turfe

“I would like to extend my congratulations to the Republican Party and President-Elect Donald Trump on their victory,” Deputy Wayne County Executive Assad Turfe, who was one of the first Arab American leaders to support Harris, told The Arab American News after the election results. “While the outcome I had hoped for did not come to pass, I want to acknowledge the historic efforts of Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran the shortest presidential campaign in history— just 100 days. I also want to recognize what she has done to pave the way for women of color. Representation is important.”

Turfe said that despite the many challenges Harris faced, he supported her because he believed in her leadership and her commitment to ending the war.

“I hope President Trump will bring peace and end the war, as Vice President Harris had promised me,” he said. “I was proud to be a part of the Harris team and the Democrats, and I remain deeply committed to the values we fought for. As we look ahead, the work will continue, and I will keep advocating for policies that serve the greater good to create a brighter future for all. Let us move forward with solidarity, resilience and hope.”

Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi told The Arab American News that the people have spoken and their voices were heard and documented regardless of the choices they made on the ballot.

“Since the results of the elections were released, I have had an outpouring of calls and visits with constituents and community members locally, nationally and globally,” Bazzi said.

The most critical and immediate issue is President Trump’s follow through on his commitment to end the wars in the Middle East. It is imperative that Trump uses diplomacy to stop the genocide in Lebanon and Gaza, in stark opposite of the Biden-Harris administration, which sent billions of American tax dollars in weapons to Israel to fund the atrocities. – Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi

“Congratulations to those who won this election and all who participated in our democratic process,” he added. “Despite some differing views and emotions, the common question is how we will move forward as a community and a country. The answer is collectively, we have work to do. Together with mutual respect, we can navigate any challenges, stay informed, maintain our civic engagement and ensure that there is accountability in all branches of government, to help affect positive change.”

Bazzi said he has and will continue to be in communication with President-elect Trump and his team, to advocate for his constituents in a community he is proud to serve. He also said he’s grateful that this new administration is willing to listen and commit to working together on issues impacting our city, our country and our world.

“The most critical and immediate issue is President Trump’s follow through on his commitment to end the wars in the Middle East,” Bazzi said. “It is imperative that Trump uses diplomacy to stop the genocide in Lebanon and Gaza, in stark opposite of the Biden-Harris administration, which sent billions of American tax dollars in weapons to Israel to fund the atrocities.  I was pleased to see that President Trump has already initiated a preliminary regional plan for negations to stop the wars.”

Voters depart a polling place at McDonald Elementary School, Nov. 5, in Dearborn. – Photo by AP

Voters shared who they were casting their ballots for prior to Election Day

On Nov. 3, a pro-Palestine protest took place in West Dearborn to mobilize voters and make their voices heard. Demonstrators holding Palestinian flags and signs reading “Abandon Harris” marched the streets of West Village Drive and Michigan Avenue to call for action on international and local fronts.

Hassan Abdel Salam, one of the founders of the “Abandon Harris” movement, said he would be voting third party and casting his vote for Stein. She received the movement’s official endorsement on October 7.

A lifelong Democrat and former professor of human rights, strategy and movements at the University of Minnesota, Abdel Salam said their goal is to hold Harris accountable for her role in perpetrating genocide and, more importantly, her lack of action to spot it.

“We intend to punish the vice president for her genocide, then take the blame for her defeat in so doing by power in order to send a signal to the political landscape that you should never have ignored us as we came out again and again and again protesting against genocide,” he said.

In 2022, he spent nearly a year conducting research in Jerusalem, located in occupied Palestine, before being detained for publicly expressing his support for the liberation of Palestine. He said he was held by the Israeli forces for 23 days and the trauma he endured from that experience, he said, has driven his outspoken opposition to Harris.

As a lifelong Democrat, he said that not voting for the Democratic Party is unusual for him and much of the community.

The Arab Americans News spoke with various individuals outside of the Arab American community who also voted for Stein.

Lindsay Airey, a Metro Detroit resident, said that she would also be voting for Stein out of moral conscience and strategic intent, emphasizing that if Stein secured 5 percent of the vote, it could pave the way for long-term fundamental change.

Arab American voters standing in line to cast their votes on November 5 at Salina School precinct. – Photo by The Arab American News

“I’m voting Green Party and I think it’s a vote of conscience,” Airey said. “But it’s also a vote of strategy because we have two genocidal parties and that is not a democracy; we don’t live in a democracy. Palestine has unveiled to us, to those of us who didn’t already know, that we are not living in a democracy. And so we have to build power. Part of that, I think is building a third party that is viable like Stein, Stein-Ware; they’re for Palestine. If we can get 5 percent in this election, that can build long term and I don’t think electoral is the only way.”

When asked whether being near the Dearborn community, which has been vocal in support of Palestine, has strengthened her own advocacy, she affirmed that it does, explaining that those who are not connected to the people impacted are often able to ignore the harsh realities unfolding before us.

“Absolutely,” she said. “In fact being here today, I was like I need to be in this space because I have to be tied to an embodied thing, I can’t just be on social media. We need more than just analysis; we need people power and we need to be together.”

She added that she knows this because she watches people she knows, “who know better in their head, but are in insular enclaves where they are not connected at all to the pain, and it’s so easy for them to detach.”  

Prior to Election Day, more than 3.2 million Michigan citizens already cast their ballot by mail or by dropping them off at a polling drop box, and more than 1.2 million voters cast their ballots in person during the early voting period. In 2020, Michigan’s total turnout was about 5.6 million total voters; 3.3 million of those voted by mail.

“As we head into the final day of voting, I am pleased to announce that all the trends we are seeing indicate we are on pace to see another high turnout election with voters all across the state enthusiastic and engaged,” said Secretary of State Benson in a press release. “I want to thank Michigan’s clerks and election workers – all of whom have done an exceptional job managing the early voting sites, setting up counting boards to preprocess mail-in ballots and making sure the voting process runs smoothly and securely. All of us owe a huge debt of gratitude to these dedicated professionals and I am extremely thankful for their tireless work for the people of Michigan.”

Arab American voters cast their votes at a Salina School precinct in Dearborn’s Southend on Tuesday, November 5.
– Photos by The Arab American News

According to Constitution, Trump will not be able to run again. Even if the terms are not consecutive, as Trump’s terms are not, a person can only serve as president twice.

After he was announced as the 47th president, he spoke to the crowd of supporters at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida.

“And every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future,” he said in his speech. “Every single day I will be fighting for you with every breath in my body. I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America, that’s what we have to have.

“…Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason. And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness. And now we are going to fulfill that mission together.

“They came from all corners: union, non-union, African America, Hispanic American, Asian American, Arab American, Muslim American, we had everybody and it was beautiful,” he said. “It was a historic realignment uniting citizens of all backgrounds around a common core of common sense.”

“They said ‘he will start a war.’ I’m not going to start a war. I’m going to stop wars.”

In a historical moment, the heart of Arab America highlighted the voices of Arab Americans who refuse to extend their vote to the Democratic Party due to its hand in the genocide in Gaza. Those same Arab Americans now expect the new administration to take steps to stop the genocide. For they will remember come the next election.