LANSING, Mich. (AP) 鈥 Donald Trump is set to visit Dearborn, Michigan 鈥 the nation鈥檚 largest Arab-majority city 鈥 on Friday, according to a local business owner who first insisted the former president call for peace in Lebanon before hosting him.
Metro Detroit is home to nation's largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn. The city 鈥 which President Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin 鈥 has been roiled by political turmoil, with many upset with the Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
While Vice President Kamala Harris has been working through community tensions, Trump鈥檚 visit will mark the first by either candidate, according to a local leader, Osama Siblani. Earlier this year, Harris met with the city's Democratic mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, though their discussion took place outside Dearborn.
Sam Abbas, the owner of The Great Commoner in Dearborn, told The Associated Press that Trump was set to visit his restaurant.
鈥淲e expect some remarks around ending the war and bringing peace to the Middle East,鈥 said Abbas. 鈥淚鈥檓 not here to get political. I鈥檓 not here to tell people which way I鈥檓 voting. I am simply here because our family is being slaughtered and we just want to end the war. Stop the bombing.鈥
Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas鈥 Oct. 7, 2023, attack and last month launched an invasion of Lebanon to suppress Hezbollah, the militia that has continuously launched rockets into Israeli territory. At least 43,000 people have died in Gaza, according to Gaza鈥檚 health ministry, which does not distinguish in its death toll between combatants and civilians.
The Trump campaign declined to comment on the visit. It follows Trump鈥檚 rally in Michigan last week, when he brought local Muslims up onstage with him. Trump has also received endorsements from two Democratic mayors of Muslim-majority cities.
While many Democratic leaders in the community have , they are still deeply negative toward Trump and say his endorsements don鈥檛 reflect a majority of the community. They also remember his call for a 鈥渢otal and complete shutdown鈥 on Muslims entering the country and his travel restrictions on visitors from Muslim-majority countries. And some point out that Trump has suggested he would give Israel even more leeway to attack its rivals in the region.
Even so, Democrats worry that traditionally loyal voters may shift to Trump or third-party candidates like Jill Stein 鈥 or skip the top of the ballot altogether. This could prove pivotal in Michigan, a state both parties see as a toss-up.
Abbas said had reached out to him several weeks ago about hosting Trump in Dearborn. Before hosting Trump, Abbas said he wanted to see a statement from Trump that he said showed Trump 鈥渉as the intentions of ending the war and helping us rebuild Lebanon and helping the displaced and the injured.鈥
That statement came Wednesday, when Trump posted on X that he wanted to 鈥渟top the suffering and destruction in Lebanon.鈥
鈥淚 will preserve the equal partnership among all Lebanese communities,鈥 Trump said on X. 鈥淵our friends and family in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity, and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen with peace and stability in the Middle East.鈥
Once Trump put out the statement, Abbas said he agreed to host the event. He expects close to 100 people from the community.
鈥淗e鈥檚 coming to us to basically tell us, look, I did what you guys asked. My intentions, my true intentions are to bring peace and to end the war,鈥 said Abbas.
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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
