Rashida Tlaib 'proud' to not vote for Biden in Michigan Democratic primary
Rep. Rashida Tlaib released a video statement touting her vote in protest of President Biden during Michigan's Democratic primary.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said she was "proud" to cast a protest vote against President Biden in Michigan's Democratic primary on Tuesday.
Tlaib's comments were shared in a video by Listen To Michigan, a group dedicated to getting Democrats in the Great Lakes State to vote "uncommitted" in the primary election.
Biden's stance on Israel's war in Gaza has earned him fierce backlash from Arab American and Muslim community leaders, particularly in Michigan, which is home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S.
"Hi everyone, it's Rashida. I was proud today to walk in and pull a Democratic ballot and vote uncommitted. We must protect our democracy, we must make sure that our government is about us, about the people," Tlaib said. "When 74% of Democrats in Michigan support a ceasefire yet President Biden is not hearing us, this is the way we can use our democracy to say listen."
"Listen to the families right now that have been directly impacted, but also listen to majority of Americans that are saying enough. No more wars, no more using our dollars to fund a genocide. No more. So please, take your family members, use our democratic process to speak up about your core values, where you want to see our country go."
Tlaib said it was the first time her 18-year-old son had voted in an election.
Progressive-led campaigns and lawmakers have hammered Biden's re-election campaign over the U.S.'s handling of the Middle East conflict.
In addition to Listen To Michigan, a group called Abandon Biden has been pushing voters to actively oppose the president for his failure to call for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza.
Abandon Biden is specifically targeting voters in swing states, which could prove critical in the 2024 race that is likely to pit Biden against his old political foe, former President Trump.
Tlaib has been among Biden's most vocal left-wing critics in Congress in the wake of Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched a surprise invasion in southern Israel, killing over 1,000 people and taking dozens more hostage.
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Israel has responded with heavy bombardment and a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The Hamas-run Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, has said nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the resulting conflict.
Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, has spent the last day urging Michiganders on social media to also protest Biden in the Democratic primary.
She wrote in one post on her Instagram Story, "We attend marches and protests all the time! We can stand at a polling station for EVERY CHILD KILLED in Gaza. Don't stay home. Help the uncommitted campaign."
Fox News Digital reached out to Tlaib's campaign to ask whether she would similarly oppose Biden in the general election if he did not call for a permanent cease-fire.
Biden's campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.