Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib is calling on Democrats in Dearborn, Michigan, to vote against President Joe Biden in the state's upcoming Democratic primary.
“If you want us to be louder, come out here and vote irresponsibly,” Tlaib said in a new video posted to social media while standing outside an early voting site on Saturday.
She joins a growing chorus of calls from Michigan progressive activists to vote “irresponsible” instead of voting for Biden in Michigan's Democratic presidential primary on February 27.
Tlaib's video was posted to the X account of Listen to Michigan, a group that urges voters to vote “irresponsibly” in the primary.
Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, cited dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's role in the war between Israel and Hamas as his reason for urging people to vote.
“It's also important to create voting blocs that are like megaphones that say, 'Enough is enough.'” We don't want a country that supports war, bombs, and destruction. We want to support people's lives. We want to support people's lives. We want to stand up for all the lives killed in Gaza,” Tlaib said.
She added: “This is how we can make our voices heard. Don't make us any more invisible. Right now, we feel completely ignored and ignored by our government.”
Tlaib has criticized the Biden administration's role since the war began and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
At a press conference in December, Tlaib said of Biden: You may be — you have to listen to the majority of Americans and the majority of Democrats who did everything in their power to get you elected. Mr. President, you must represent all of us. Not just some. Call for a ceasefire now. ”
In November, a month after Hamas attacked Israel, Tlaib was criticized for making certain statements about the war in the plenary session of the House of Representatives, including the phrase “from the river to the sea,” which has been used by Hamas. . It has been condemned by Jewish groups as an anti-Semitic call to eliminate Israel.
Biden won Michigan by just 3 percentage points in the 2020 presidential election, and the state is likely to once again be a key factor in Biden's potential path to victory in November. .
Michigan Democratic Party Chairwoman LaVora Burns reiterated her support for Biden when asked about Tlaib's message urging voters to vote without reservation in the Democratic primary.
“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were elected because they promised to serve Michigan families, workers and communities, and they have kept that promise,” she told NBC News.
But since the war in Gaza began, Biden has been criticized by Muslim and Arab American leaders in Michigan, a state with a large Arab American population, particularly Dearborn.
Earlier this month, White House officials visited the state and met with Muslim and Arab American leaders. Biden himself visited the state in early February, but the purpose of that trip was to meet with autoworkers with support from the United Auto Workers union.
On Wednesday, Our Revolution, a progressive political group founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vt.), also urged Michigan Democrats to vote “irresponsibly” in the primary. (Mr. Sanders has distanced himself from the group's position, saying he supports Mr. Biden's re-election.)
However, while the group is currently urging its members to vote against Biden, it has made clear that it intends to support Biden again in November.
“Our preacher supporters can urge Biden to change course on Gaza now and increase his chances of winning Michigan in November, because we need to reverse right-wing Trump policies. Because we have to!” said an email from Our Revolution to supporters.