In a surprise move at a campaign rally on Saturday, former United States president Donald Trump brought several American Muslim leaders onstage as he tried to garner the attention of Arab American and Muslim voters.
"They could turn the election one way or the other," said the the 77-year-old Republican presidential candidate, during the rally in Detroit, Michigan — critical battleground state — pointing towards the potential impact of this demographic.
Trump brought what his campaign described as "prominent leaders of Michigan's Muslim community," on stage.
Among them was Imam Belal Alzuhairi, an American Muslim leader who termed Trump as the "peace" candidate, CNN reported.
"We, as Muslims, stand with President Trump because he promises peace – he promises peace, not war," said Alzuhairi. "We are supporting Donald Trump because he promised to end war in the Middle East and Ukraine."
Before the rally, Trump held a meeting with these leaders to discuss their concerns.
In 2017, during his first month as president, Trump issued an executive order that temporarily banned entry for 90 days from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
The order indefinitely banned Syrian refugees and blocked all refugees from entering the US for four months.
Despite this, the Trump campaign and its allies seek to capitalise on Arab American and Muslim dissatisfaction with the US role in the Mideast crisis.
Arab American and Muslim Americans have criticised Harris and Biden from both sides — promising anti-war voters that Trump would achieve peace.
During his rally on Saturday, Trump claimed that "Jews, Catholics, evangelicals, Mormons, Muslims are joining our cause in larger numbers than ever before and now the most wonderful thing is happening."
"The Muslim and Arab voters in Michigan and across the country want a stop to the endless wars and a return to peace in the Middle East. That's all they want," Trump added.
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