Democrat warns Biden of pro-Palestine protests during Michigan visit

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: CBS News
23 Jan 2024 16:24
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Democratic Michigan Governer Gretchen Whitmer has warned of pro-Palestinian protests in the state against Joe Biden's unwavering support for "Israel" amid the genocide in Gaza.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to United Auto Workers members at a rally, Sept. 15, 2023, in Detroit (AP)

Democratic Michigan Governer Gretchen Whitmer warned on Monday of pro-Palestinian protests in the state against Joe Biden's unwavering support for "Israel" amid the genocide in Gaza.

In an interview for CBS, host Margaret Brennan asked Whitmer if the President should expect a wave of protests following an anecdote about a constituent who strongly supported and advocated for Biden back in 2020 and his recent shift in attitude toward the current president, to which Whitmer replied, "He may."

Whitmer then defended protesters, saying they are entitled to voice their opinions, especially as the presidential elections near.

"These are legitimate and raw feelings that people have," she said.

"A lot of voters are going to vote for things like individual freedoms, like the basis of our democracy, climate change, so there are a lot of things that are going to come into play as we get closer and closer to the election, but certainly these are legitimate and raw feelings that people have, and they’re entitled to their opinions," she added.

Brennan also shared concerns about how Biden would be welcomed in Michigan, a state made up of a large Arab community.

Whitmer, in response, said Michigan has a diverse community of Arabs and Jews who came to the state for a better quality of life and that the Israeli war in Gaza took its toll on both, saying, "These two communities have lived as neighbors in harmony for decades, and what’s happening in Israel and Gaza has certainly, I think, caused pain for everyone."

Biden digs his own grave

This comes as uncertainty about Biden's reelection looms, especially with the threat of losing American Muslim voters.

Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist based in Michigan, commented on the matter to the news outlet, saying concern is rising because the problem lies within Biden himself, not anything else.

David Haener, a Democrat from New Boston, Michigan, told CBS that Michigan voters are increasingly opposing Biden's reelection, affirming that his policies are dictating his losses and costing him the elections.

A December poll based in Michigan revealed that only 27% of Democratic voters are enthusiastic about Biden's reelections, while the rest would be satisfied or flat-out upset.

America has seen this movie before

The presidential race between Donald Trump and Biden has left voters in a considerable rut.

The results of a poll conducted by Decision Desk HQ/NewsNation from January 16-18 with 1,000 registered voters showed that around 59 percent of registered voters are “not too enthusiastic” or “not at all enthusiastic” about a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. The other 41 percent stated that they are “very enthusiastic” or “somewhat enthusiastic” about the rematch, according to The Hill.

When voters were asked about who they think is going to win in this year's match between Trump and Biden, about 43 percent said Trump would win, while around 33 percent believed it's going to be Biden. In addition, around 7 percent voted that “someone else” would win, and the remaining 17 percent said they were “not sure” about who would win.