James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Wednesday that many Muslim voters now regret their decisions in the 2024 presidential election, as President Donald Trump’s policies toward Gaza take a drastic turn.
During the interview, Keilar highlighted how Trump benefited from a surge of Muslim voter support in 2024, largely due to anger over the Biden administration’s handling of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza. The conflict, which has resulted in more than 50,000 Palestinian deaths, was described by Zogby as “genocide.”
Trump’s unexpected support among Muslim voters was particularly evident in Dearborn, Michigan—the city with the largest Muslim American population in the U.S.—where he became the first Republican presidential candidate in over two decades to secure a victory.
However, according to Zogby, many of those voters are now experiencing deep regret. When asked by Keilar if he had spoken to any of them since the election, he confirmed that he had—and that their disillusionment with Trump was growing.
“Many of [the voters] stayed home, and some of them voted for Donald Trump,” Zogby said. “But they are now feeling very clearly that they made a big mistake.” He compared their frustration to a child reacting impulsively to punishment.
“Sort of like the kid who gets in trouble and his parents send him to his room and he goes out there and starts throwing stuff around… in a pique of anger. All he’s got is a mess, and that’s what we’ve got here.” Zogby also emphasized that their vote was not for Vice President Kamala Harris but for Trump—an act of protest that, in hindsight, had unintended consequences.
“People didn’t vote for Kamala Harris. They voted for Donald Trump. They had their tantrum. And now look what we got. We got a crazy man in the White House who’s doing and projecting things that are really, really problematic.” Many of these voters are now firmly opposed to Trump’s latest stance on Gaza, particularly his recently stated desire to forcibly remove all Palestinians from their land.
As the political landscape continues to shift, Muslim American voters—especially in key battleground states—could play a decisive role in upcoming elections. The regret expressed by many could have significant implications for both parties moving forward, particularly as frustrations mount over the administration’s handling of Middle East policy.