There are times when one can’t be sure of the impact of a particular event involving an election. All too often we don’t know what the impact is until the votes are tallied. But this one has the potential to be quite a big deal.
On Saturday, a group of Minneapolis community leaders offered some very enthusiastic endorsements of, and support for, Donald Trump for president. Why is this significant? Because the endorsements come from Muslims in Minneapolis’s Somali community.
🚨 WATCH: Minnesota Somali leaders endorse President Trump:
“Our conditions are horrible, we can’t afford anything. As working class and middle class people. Now please understand this, we love our brothers and sisters who are Democrats, but you left us.” pic.twitter.com/hbzH8TyEhm
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) November 2, 2024
Some key quotes:
Most importantly, the left left us. 33 percent of our kids cannot read – cannot read at grade level. Minnesota in education? We are failing in every standard. 8th graders – 60 percent cannot do math at grade level. These are our kids. We are talking about economic conditions here. Our conditions is (sic) horrible. We can’t afford anything. As working-class and middle-class people. Now please understand this, we love our brothers and sisters who are Democrats, but you left us. And because the left left us, join the right, and vote for Trump, 2024.
Another community leader, a former Democrat, also spoke powerfully:
Watch this powerful testimony from a former Minnesota Democrat Somali leader:
“I fundamentally believe that [Trump] is our best bet moving forward.” pic.twitter.com/gVSFEcQeNX
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) November 2, 2024
I’m a person of deep Muslim faith. I have Abrahamic religion. I love my Jewish brothers and sisters. I love my Christian brothers and sisters. People come from different communities and backgrounds. We’re all the same. We live in a country where we should be working together. Not hurting each other, not defaming each other. We should be protecting the rights of every person to speak. Because today if I am supporting the censorship of a segment of this country, guess what, tomorrow I will be censored too. And I don’t want that for myself or for my family. And that’s why, it’s surprising to say, Trump is kind of an a**hole. He says a lot of things, he’s not the nicest person in the room, he’s not going to sugar-coat things for you. But guess what, the four years he was president, nothing happened to me personally. I was safe, this community was safe. This country was safe.
Now that’s a unifying message.
It’s not clear how big an impact that will make in Minnesota or the election as a whole. As of this writing, it’s a bit of a stretch to say Minnesota is in play; the RealClearPolitics average of the state has Kamala Harris holding a 4.8 percent lead, in a state that last sent its electoral votes to a Republican in 1972. And, while these endorsements are meaningful and no doubt heartfelt, this is the same community that has sent Ilhan Omar to Congress three times running.
See Related: CNN Goes Code Red Over Democrats and the Muslim Vote, and the Details Are Stunning
‘Insult to Every American’: Muslim Group Slams Kamala Harris for Appearing With Liz Cheney
NEW: Embattled Kamala Harris Surprisingly Losing Once-Solid Voting Bloc in Much-Needed Swing State
But it may be a part of a bigger picture. Muslims, for the most part, are very conservative on social issues; transgender activism, gender theory, climate change, and other sacred cows of today’s Democratic party don’t sit well with many Muslims. But then, the United States’ continued support for Israel is a contentious issue with many in the Muslim community as well.
It’s an interesting needle that the GOP might need to thread over time.
