“Anybody with their right mind would not go back to the Democrats”—Abandon Harris Movement Reflects on 2024 Vote for Trump

In interviews with NBC News, key figures from the “Abandon Harris” movement have reaffirmed their decision to withhold support from Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, with many opting to cast their votes for former President Donald Trump.

This group, primarily motivated by discontent with President Joe Biden’s policies, especially his stance on the war in Gaza, expressed uncertainty about their future political direction but felt their decision was the right one at the time.

Layla Elabed, co-founder of the Uncommitted National Movement and sister of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), criticized Harris for aligning with figures like Liz Cheney and the donor class on several issues. “There have been many ways in which Harris chose the path of Liz Cheney and the donor class on a range of issues, and abandoning working families in places like Dearborn, who make up the people Democrats claim to be fighting for,” Elabed said.

“And I think at the same time, Trump came in and fed a community that was grieving and in despair with lies and false promises.” Bryarr Misner, a campaign manager for the Abandon Harris movement in Pittsburgh, also explained his decision to vote for Trump.

“The point of the Abandon Harris campaign was to punish the Democrats for supporting Israel during its war in Gaza, which the campaigners view as a genocide, and he hopes the Trump campaign will be more willing to negotiate with group leaders,” Misner said. He acknowledged that while Trump may not implement policies beneficial to the community, he appreciated Trump’s willingness to engage directly with constituents.

“President Trump, he continuously came and he was in the community. While I don’t believe that he’s going to enact policies that will benefit the community, he at least showed that he was willing to show up for the community.”

However, some within the movement are now expressing doubts, especially after seeing some of Trump’s Cabinet appointments. Farah Khan, co-chair of the Abandon Harris campaign in Michigan, admitted to having reservations about her support for Trump. “Anybody with their right mind would not go back to the Democrats, because they have not shown any change, and they’re going to have to work really, really hard to win their votes back,” Khan told NBC.

She explained that Trump’s direct outreach to the Muslim community, including his promises for peace in the Middle East, resonated with voters, despite her concerns about some of his Cabinet picks, such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and ex-Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Khan expressed worry about how these appointments might impact Muslim communities but acknowledged that it was too early to draw conclusions about Trump’s overall presidency. “It’s worrisome. And some of his Cabinet picks, like Tulsi Gabbard and then Mike Huckabee, have made Muslims anxious, but we still have to wait and see how things pan out, because it’s too early to say anything about Trump, and we all know that Trump only listens [to] Trump,” she said.