Vice President Kamala Harris is slightly behind former President Donald Trump among Arab Americans, according to a poll released Wednesday. from the Arab American Institute.
The poll found that 42 percent of likely voters preferred Trump, while 41 percent backed Harris. Twelve percent plan to back a third-party candidate.
Democrats typically have a 2-to-1 advantage with this group.
But polls found that “it is Trump who is the beneficiary of the community’s anger and despair over the Biden Administration’s failure to prevent the genocide unfolding in Gaza,” according to a statement.
The poll found that by a small percentage (46 percent to 43 percent) Arab Americans also preferred Republicans to have control of Congress.
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) trails former President Donald Trump (right) slightly among Arab Americans, according to a poll released Wednesday by the Arab American Institute.
Palestinian residents search through rubble in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Arab Americans are drifting away from Democrats amid the Gaza war, despite former President Donald Trump’s strong support for Israel.
While Harris regained much of the support that President Joe Biden lost among the community after October 7, she is still 18 points behind Biden’s level of support four years ago.
Biden received 59 percent of the vote when he defeated Trump in 2020.
Currently, Arab Americans identify evenly across parties: 38 percent say they are Democrats and 38 percent say they are Republicans.
Those who identified as Democrats recovered from a record low of 23 percent in October 2023, the same month Hamas terrorists invaded parts of Israel and killed nearly 1,200 Israelis.
That started the war in Gaza, with Democratic President Joe Biden supporting Israel’s counteroffensive in the Palestinian territory, which has now killed thousands of civilians and leveled large areas.
Gaza is a major issue for Arab Americans: 81 percent tell pollsters it will greatly influence their vote.
Both Harris and Trump could boost their support among Arab Americans by demanding an immediate ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza or threatening to withhold diplomatic support and arms shipments to Israel.
Harris raises her figure to 60 percent support among Arab Americans if she were to make these policy changes.
Trump’s figure would increase to 55 percent support.
The Democratic candidate has criticized Israel during the war in Gaza but continues to support arming the Jewish state, while Trump has been unabashedly pro-Israel.
While Trump has a slight lead, within the poll’s plus or minus 4.5 percent margin of error, Arab Americans are also less enthusiastic about voting this year.
Traditionally, the voting bloc has been in the 80 percent enthusiasm range, but this year only 63 percent of the community said they are excited about voting, according to the report.
Still, Trump’s lead increases when those most likely to vote were surveyed: the Republican obtained 46 percent and Harris 42 percent.