U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Powers, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez and other White House officials visited Michigan on Thursday amid anger among Arab and Muslim Americans over President Biden's handling of the Gaza war. He plans to visit the state and hear from local leaders. .
White House officials told The Hill that officials will hear from regional leaders in Michigan, including Gaza, on a variety of issues important to local residents.
Powers and Perez will be joined by National Security Advisor John Feiner. Steve Benjamin, Director, Office of Public Engagement; Jamie Citron, Principal Deputy Director, Office of Public Engagement; Mazen Basrawi, NSC Director of Partnerships and Global Engagement. Dan Coe, Deputy Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs;
It's unclear where in Michigan the group will meet with local leaders. Biden visited Michigan last week, but the trip did not include a visit to Dearborn, which has a majority Arab-American population, nor did it include meetings with Arab-American leaders. It wasn't.
Protests took place in Dearborn on the eve of the president's visit, and demonstrators holding signs that read “Abandon Biden” followed him to a union hall in Warren, Michigan.
CNN first reported on the planned meeting.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last week that senior Biden administration officials would be visiting Michigan in the coming days to “discuss directly with local leaders and their families a variety of issues important to them.” I'll listen to you,” he said. Israel and Gaza. ”
The Biden administration says the move will help Hamas, even as the White House faces questions over its commitment to Arab and Muslim Americans as protests erupt across the U.S. calling for a ceasefire in the conflict. It is claimed that only.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
