After long supporting the Democratic Party, Samra Luqman became a strong supporter of Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign, helping rally Arab American support in Dearborn, Michigan, hoping he could end the Gaza war.

Now, after Trump helped mediate the ceasefire agreement, Samra feels immense happiness and somewhat justified in her stance after months of criticism from neighbors angry at Trump’s support for Israel.

Samra, an American of Yemeni descent, said, “It’s almost a moment that allows me to say ‘I was right.'” She added, “No other president could have forced Bibi to agree to a ceasefire,” using the nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Samra and other Trump supporters among Arab Americans interviewed by Reuters expressed cautious optimism about the newly reached deal but feared Israel might violate the ceasefire as it had in the past in Gaza and Lebanon.

Mike Hisham, a Lebanese-American political advisor living in Dearborn who actively participated in Trump’s 2024 campaign, said, “We are all holding our breath.”

He added, “Credit must be given where due… but this is not a peace agreement. It is just the end of a bloody war, and those lives lost on both Israeli and Palestinian sides will not return.”

Cautious Optimism and Distrust

Israeli airstrikes on Qatar and other Arab countries in recent months fueled distrust of Israel among Michigan’s Arab population, numbering over 300,000. But the agreement is the biggest step yet to end a war that erupted two years ago and that Palestinian health authorities say has killed more than 67,000 in Gaza.

Besides the ceasefire, the deal includes the release of the last 20 of 250 prisoners held by Hamas when it launched the attack that sparked the war on October 7, 2023, which, according to the Israeli government, killed more than 1,200 people.

This comes after months of growing frustration among Arab Americans over what they saw as Trump’s failure to rein in Netanyahu and end the war.

According to more than 10 Arab American voters who supported Trump in Michigan last year and spoke to Reuters recently, many were concerned about Trump’s renewal of travel bans on citizens of several Muslim-majority countries and his campaigns against free speech targeting pro-Palestinian protesters.

Many interviewed were also disappointed that Arab Americans—who contributed thousands of votes to Trump’s Michigan win—did not translate into high-level positions for themselves and Muslims in his administration.

It remains unclear whether the ceasefire agreement will affect these skeptical voters as Trump’s Republican Party faces midterm elections, Michigan’s gubernatorial election next year, and the 2028 presidential election.

Hisham said Trump will be hailed as a “peace hero” after mediating the Gaza ceasefire but added Arab American voters might turn against him and other Republicans if the deal collapses.

He continued, “We are ready to abandon Republicans and return to Democrats. We have shown Donald Trump that we can change our support however we want.”

Shift to Trump

Trump won Michigan in 2024 with over 80,000 votes, making up for his 154,000-vote loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. An October 2024 poll by the Arab American Institute showed 42% of Arab Americans nationwide preferred Trump versus 41% for Kamala Harris—a drop of 18 points from Biden’s 2020 support.

Samra said besides anger over the Gaza war, Trump’s 2024 campaign exploited some conservative members’ fears about Democrats defending transgender rights. She predicted these voters would continue supporting Republicans.

But Samra noted a larger group of Arab Americans voted for Trump in 2024 “out of anger” at Democrats, and their continued support for the GOP likely depends on what happens in Gaza.

She said, “I think they haven’t found their political faction yet in the Republicans,” adding Trump’s pressure on Netanyahu could “boost J.D. Vance’s popularity in upcoming elections and any Republican running in midterms.”

Imam Bilal Al-Zuhairi joined Trump on a Michigan stage days before the 2024 election alongside 22 other clergy, convinced he represented the best chance for a ceasefire, but said many Yemeni Americans later felt disappointed after Trump reinstated travel bans on citizens of many Islamic countries.

He said, “Now, many feel deeply worried. They fear for themselves and their families. There is distrust after the travel ban.”

After facing harsh criticism for supporting Trump, the Yemeni-American cleric said he decided to withdraw from politics “which drains the soul” to focus on religion and family.

Easing Frustration

Richard Grenell, a Michigan native chosen by Trump to lead outreach to Arab American and Muslim voters, returned to the Detroit area last month to hold his first meetings with their leaders since November. His mission? To ease growing frustration and prevent Arab Americans from shifting toward the Democratic Party, as they did after Republican President George W. Bush’s 2003 Iraq invasion.

Al-Zuhairi, Samra, and dozens of others pressed Grenell with questions at a Dearborn cafe about the travel ban and U.S. arms sales to Israel. In a separate session, he was asked why the administration did not do more to help Christians in Iraq.

Grenell, former acting Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term, told Reuters dialogue is important.

He added, “I still believe Arabs and Muslims in Michigan are key to winning the state. I know these leaders well, and they want and deserve access to political decision-makers.”

Despite facing tough questions from Arab American leaders at four Detroit-area events, Grenell said he would stay in close contact and affirmed Trump’s commitment to peace worldwide.

He told Reuters, “You can’t show up right before the election and expect to be a trusted voice for any community group.”

Ali Al-Jahmi, 20, a Yemeni American who helped rally young Arab Americans to support Trump via a video on X that garnered nearly a million views, praised Grenell for visiting Dearborn twice during the 2024 campaign.

But Al-Jahmi, whose family runs four restaurants in the Detroit area, said it was too early to predict upcoming elections. He said, “Trump promised a lot. Well, you came and showed yourself, but I still think there are contradictions. In three years, we’ll see what they do.”