In a historic shift, Muslim and Arab Americans broke with two decades of Democratic loyalty, splitting most of their votes between President-elect Donald Trump and third-party candidates in Tuesday’s presidential election, according to preliminary findings of two prominent advocacy groups. The exodus, fueled by anger over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza, helped Trump win key battleground states, especially Michigan, as he defeated Vice President Kamala Harris to win a second term in the White House. A nationwide exit poll of more than 1,300 voters by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) found that significantly less than 50% of Muslim voters backed Harris. That compares with an estimated 65% to 70% that reportedly voted for President Joe Biden in 2020. The lion’s share of the Muslim vote went to Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate who advocated for ending U.S. military support for Israel, or Trump, who received the backing of several Arab and Muslim community leaders and elected officials in Michigan. A full picture of the Muslim vote is yet to emerge. The CAIR survey was at odds with the Associated Press’s Votecast survey, which found the vice president captured 63% of Muslim votes overall…Read more