Donald Trump meets with Arab Americans at a Dearborn restaurant before a rally in Michigan

DEARBORN, MI – Former President Donald Trump made a stop at a Dearborn cafe before his rally in Macomb County on Friday, Nov. 1, and shared his hope for peace in the Middle East.

The Republican presidential candidate stopped at The Great Commoner on his way to a rally at Macomb Community College later that day in Warren. During his visit, he was accompanied by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who made sure to shake hands and greet members of the crowd.

Trump, who will face Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 election, was greeted by a crowd upon his arrival at 3 p.m. Many people held their phones in the air while others stood on chairs to get a better view of the former president. .

“You will have peace in the Middle East, but not with the clowns who now run the United States,” Trump said.

The visit is the first time a leading 2024 candidate has visited Dearborn, the nation’s largest Arab-majority city. according to the Associated Press. Metro Detroit is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, many of whom live in Dearborn.

The city, which Democrat Joe Biden won by a 3-to-1 margin in 2020, is engulfed in political turmoil, with many unhappy with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Israel invaded the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and last month launched an invasion of Lebanon to crush Hezbollah, a militia that routinely fires rockets into Israeli territory. At least 43,000 people have died in the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not differentiate the death toll between combatants and civilians.

Cafe owner Albert Abbas warmly welcomed Trump and shared what he hopes will happen if he is elected, saying he believes the current administration has “absolutely failed in every aspect of humanity” in handling the ongoing war.

“It is time to prioritize our country’s interests and promote lasting peace for all,” he said. “We look forward to a Trump presidency, envisioning a time when peace prospers, especially in Lebanon and Palestine, and maintaining the integrity of our borders.”

Abbas presented Trump with a plaque in the shape of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. marked with a quote from former President Ronald Reagan about peace.

“I know a lot of people from Lebanon, and we need to end this,” Trump said after presenting the plaque. “We want peace.”

Despite not sharing exact plans for resolving the ongoing war, Trump said there are people who are “not doing their job” both in the Middle East and in the United States.

Despite some support during his visit, there were top civic leaders in Dearborn who declined to meet with Trump while he was in town, according to the Associated Press. One of them is Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hamoud, who issued a statement on X ahead of Trump’s visit.

“The architect of the Muslim ban stops his campaign in Dearborn. People in this community know what Trump stands for – we have suffered from this for years,” he wrote. “I refused to meet with him, although requests continue to come. Trump will never be my president. To Democrats: Your unwillingness to defund and allow genocide has created space for Trump to infiltrate our communities. Remember this.

Ahead of the Dearborn visit, Sami Khaldi, president of the Dearborn Democratic Club, also issued a statement saying Trump “is not a candidate for peace.”

“Vice President Harris has been very clear: she believes it is time to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home, and end the suffering once and for all—while ensuring Israel’s security and ensuring that Palestinians can realize their right to dignity. , freedom and self-determination,” Khaldi said, adding that Trump is “only making empty promises.”

Trump will have final rally of his 2024 presidential campaign in Grand Rapids on Monday, November 4, the day before Election Day.

The rally will mark the third time Trump has stopped his presidential campaign in Michigan’s second-largest city.