Kamala Harris Runs Off Stage, Ignoring Question From Reporter
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, has shown a tendency to avoid difficult questions.
She famously dodged interviews for a while as her poll numbers began to drop, and she still hasn’t held a formal press conference as the nominee. On Thursday, while announcing the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, she quickly exited the stage when confronted with a challenging question about the ongoing conflict between Israel and the terrorist group.
“Will you be asking Israel to end the war?” the reporter repeatedly asked as Harris ignored her and hurried off the stage.
One possible reason for her evasiveness could be her effort to win back the Muslim-American vote, which she has largely lost in the key swing state of Michigan.
An activist group called “Drive for 75” has been rallying for a 75 percent Muslim voter turnout, aiming to prevent Harris from winning the crucial state, The Daily Caller reported. With roughly 200,000 Muslim citizens in Michigan, if 75 percent of them vote for someone other than Harris, it could deliver a significant blow to her campaign.
Democrats have traditionally relied on the Muslim-American vote, as President Joe Biden won Michigan in 2020 by just over 154,000 votes, with around 146,000 Muslims voting in that election. Exit polls indicated that 64 percent of Muslim voters nationwide supported Biden in 2020.
“The Muslim-American community has lost faith in the Democratic Party and the administration. So they’re out to hold them accountable. I wouldn’t necessarily say punish, but it’s also a punishment vote, in a sense. We’re desperate for an end to this bloodshed and genocide,” said Rex Nazarko, head of “Drive for 75,” in an interview with The Daily Caller.
Others voiced similar sentiments, acknowledging that while they don’t believe former President Donald Trump’s approach to Middle East policy would be more favorable, the decision to vote against Harris is a statement about the community’s power as a voting bloc.
“We hope that Republicans and Democrats alike will stop taking our votes for granted. If it results in hurting Harris’s chances, we hope it teaches both parties a lesson: if you go against your voters, you’ll lose,” said Khalid Turaani, leader of the group formerly known as “Abandon Biden,” which has now rebranded as “Abandon Harris.”
Turaani criticized Harris for her continued support of Israel despite the ongoing civilian casualties in Gaza. “She keeps repeating, ‘Well, on October 7,’ but there have been more than 50,000 deaths—two-thirds of them women and children. She’s showing a callous disregard for Palestinian civilians while supporting Israel’s assault.”
This sentiment was echoed by Kshama Sawant, a former Seattle City Council member and self-described socialist, who is now supporting Green Party candidate Jill Stein in an effort to deny Harris a win in Michigan.
“Our goal isn’t to win the White House, but we have a real opportunity to make history. We could deny Kamala Harris the state of Michigan,” Sawant said.