Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer warned on Sunday that President Biden could face protesters when he visits the state, as he faces backlash over his support for Israel.
"As we spoke to one of your constituents last night who said he went door to door for Joe Biden in 2020 and he’s lost his vote in 2024, and he said he plans to protest against him. Is President Biden going to face protesters when he comes here because of this one issue?" CBS host Margaret Brennan asked.
Whitmer said, "he may."
"A lot of voters are going to vote for things like individual freedoms, like the basis of our democracy, climate change, so there are a lot of things that are going to come into play as we get closer and closer to the election, but certainly these are legitimate and raw feelings that people have, and they’re entitled to their opinions," she added.
Brennan also asked how Biden would be received in Michigan as the state is home to roughly 300,000 Arab-Americans.
"No community is monolithic. I will start with that. I will say that one of the great things about this state is, this is where people came from around the world for a good-paying job and a high quality of life. It’s true today, but it’s why we have such a robust and beautiful Arab community in Michigan and a robust Jewish community in Michigan. These two communities have lived as neighbors in harmony for decades, and what’s happening in Israel and Gaza has certainly, I think, caused pain for everyone," Whitmer said.
Democratic strategists and voters in Michigan told the Wall Street Journal that there was concern for the president's chances, as polls continue to show former President Trump ahead of Biden in hypothetical matchups.
"The level of concern is growing, and it should be," Adrian Hemond, a Democratic strategist based in Michigan, told the media outlet. "The problem is not policy. The problem is the man."
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One Democrat said the president's support for Israel was "costing him" in the state.
"It’s costing him here in Michigan," David Haener, a Democrat from New Boston, Michigan, told the media outlet. "I wish he would see that he’s leaving a huge demographic behind."
A December poll found Michigan voters were very unenthusiastic about the president.
Just 27% of Democrats in the state say they are "enthusiastic" for Biden as their party's presidential nominee, according to a Washington Post-Monmouth poll.
Approximately 51% of Democratic voters in the state say they would be "satisfied" with Biden as the Democratic nominee, and 19% say they would be "dissatisfied" or "upset."
