Vice President Kamala Harris secretly met with Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, during a campaign trip last week, raising concerns due to Hammoud’s past controversial statements and actions.
Breitbart reported that he meeting was part of a broader effort by top Democrats to address criticism from uncommitted voters in key swing states like Michigan.
The meeting, held privately, has drawn attention due to Hammoud’s history of making antisemitic statements and supporting anti-Israel positions.
Hammoud, who became the mayor of Dearborn in 2022, leads a city known for having the largest Arab American population in the United States.
This meeting occurred during Harris’s campaign stop in Michigan, a key battleground state, where Democrats are working to secure votes from a diverse electorate, including Muslim- and Arab-American communities.
Abdullah Hammoud has been a polarizing figure in Dearborn and beyond. In his tenure as mayor, he has not shied away from making statements that have drawn sharp criticism, particularly concerning his views on Israel.
On October 7, Hammoud posted a statement on social media justifying the mass murder of Israelis by Hamas, while simultaneously claiming to oppose violence against innocent civilians.
More recently, on November 29, 2023, Hammoud delivered a speech at an anti-Israel rally in Dearborn, organized by the New Generation for Palestine.
During this speech, he referred to Dearborn as a “city of resistance,” a term commonly associated with terrorist groups like Hamas, which has further fueled controversy. Hammoud’s rhetoric has drawn significant attention, especially as Dearborn was labeled "America's Jihad Capital" in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
The secretive nature of the meeting and Hammoud's radical views have led to criticism from various quarters.
A person familiar with the meeting, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that the discussion focused on Harris’s potential policy on the Israel-Hamas conflict, although specific details were not provided. Hammoud himself has declined to comment on the meeting, leaving much to speculation.
During the meeting, Harris reportedly indicated a possible openness to an arms embargo against Israel, a stance that aligns with the demands of anti-Israel activists but later walked back on that commitment. This has caused further unease among those who support a strong U.S.-Israel alliance.
This meeting is seen as part of a broader effort by the Democratic Party to engage with and address concerns from uncommitted voters, particularly in key swing states like Michigan.
These voters, many from Muslim- and Arab-American communities, have been pushing for the Democratic Party to adopt a more critical stance towards Israel.
Harris’s actions during this campaign trip, including her hiring of an anti-Israel liaison to the Jewish community and a liaison to the Muslim and Arab communities with a history of radical anti-Israel activism, suggest a strategic shift aimed at securing votes from these communities. However, this strategy also risks alienating other key voter groups who view these positions as too extreme.
Former President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the controversy, criticizing Harris’s refusal to name Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, as her running mate.
Trump suggested that this decision was influenced by objections from anti-Israel voices within her party, further complicating Harris’s position within the broader political landscape.
Hammoud’s statements and actions, particularly his speech criticizing President Biden’s policies and questioning American democracy’s reliance on the current administration, have added fuel to the fire.
He accused Biden of sacrificing American democracy by aligning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a stance that has resonated with some in the Muslim- and Arab-American communities but has been sharply criticized by others.
