Rashida Tlaib Refuses to Endorse Kamala Harris as Gaza War Hurts Dem Voter Base

Rep. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., refused to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Detroit, Mich., on Friday.

Tlaib appeared alongside fellow team member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and members of the United Auto Workers union. While Ocasio-Cortez and other speakers voiced their support behind Harris, Tlaib only urged Michiganders to get out and vote and did not mention Harris, according to the Detroit News.

“Don’t underestimate the power you all have,” she told the rally attendees. “More than those ads, those lawn signs, those billboards, you all have more power to convert people who understand that we have to fight corporate greed in our country… We have to make sure that the nonpartisan side of the ballot of voting is completed.”

Tlaib has been strongly critical of the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. Her position mirrors that of many Muslims and Arabs in the US, a demographic group that has a large representation in Michigan.

Protesters disrupt KAMALA HARRIS’ rally in MICHIGAN: “NO MORE WARS ON GAZA!”

Tlaib issued his harshest rebuttal of the Harris-Walz ticket in September during an appearance on MSNBC. She said at the time that many contestants came to her saying they didn’t think they could support Harris and told them, “There are other people on this ballot who support the ceasefire. There are other people on this ballot who can protect our community. .”

GAZA PROTESTERS FIGHTING HARRIS: ‘I COULD VOTE FOR YOU’

There are several third-party presidential candidates on the Michigan ballot, including Jill Stein and left-wing activist Cornel West.

Harris’ campaign is trying to play both sides of the Gaza conflict, appealing to Jewish voters in Pennsylvania by emphasizing her support for Israeli autonomy while condemning violence in Gaza in ads targeting Muslims in Michigan.

A report from CNN on Friday put the spotlight on the Harris campaign’s divergent Facebook ads.

“And let me be clear — I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself,” Harris says in the Facebook announcement, which was taken from her speech at the DNC convention. “And I will always make sure that Israel has the ability to defend itself because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas inflicted on October 7, including untold sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival. “

After an edit, Harris adds: “And know this: I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and interests against Iran and Iranian-backed terrorists.”

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign released a separate ad, this one aimed at Arab-Americans in Michigan, expressing solidarity with the civilians in Gaza.

“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating,” Harris says in the announcement. “We cannot afford to become numb to suffering, and I will not be silent.”

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In another speech featured in the same ad,” Harris says, “Our common humanity compels us to act.”

The video itself is captioned as “VP Harris worked to end suffering in Gaza”.