This is an occasional roundup of people who voted for Donald Trump and are shocked to find out no one is immune from the damage and pain he causes. Many are now grappling with the consequences of their choice as it affects them and their loved ones—and possibly regretting their vote.
Just this past week, following the Boulder, Colorado, attack against people protesting for Hamas to release Israeli hostages, President Donald Trump announced a new travel ban targeting many Muslim-majority nations. Notably, Egypt—where the Boulder attacker was from—wasn’t on the list.
“It should come as no surprise that Trump’s racist travel ban overwhelmingly targets Black and brown people from countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean,” said Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib in a statement. “These policies are rooted in white nationalism and will only increase hate, xenophobia, and Islamophobia in our country.”
Tlaib, notably, refused to endorse Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for president last year. And she wasn’t alone.
In 2020, heavily Muslim Dearborn, Michigan, backed Joe Biden, giving him 69% of their vote. In 2024, only 36% of the city voted for Harris, while 42% backed Trump. Another 18% backed Green Party candidate Jill Stein. As Politico summarized in a headline, “Dearborn’s Arab Americans feel vindicated by Harris’ loss.”
Ah yes, sweet, sweet vindication. Weirdly, there aren’t many protests outside the White House. Where are the numerous rallies against “Killer Vance”? Where are the chants of “Genocide Don”? Curious, isn’t it?
These Trump-backing Muslim voters were already having second thoughts before the new ban. Back in November, Rabiul Chowdhury, chair of the Abandon Harris campaign in Pennsylvania and co-founder of the group Muslims for Trump, told reporters, “Trump won because of us and we’re not happy with his secretary of state pick and others.”
And yet they helped hand him the win.
In February, another group—Arab Americans for Trump, chaired by Bishara Bahbah—changed its name to Arab Americans for Peace after Trump held a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and floated the idea of the U.S. taking “ownership” of the Gaza Strip.
Thanks to their efforts, peace in Gaza is now further out of reach.
Now, with Trump doing basically the same thing he did the first time—now with more chaos, fear, and destruction—those same voices aren’t loudly opposing him. And the communities they claimed to represent—the voters they helped sway away from Harris—are the ones bearing the consequences.
