unsaveSave
Joe Biden had no real challenger.
But he received only 23 percent of the vote in one Michigan city.
The anger in the state could be decisive in the fight against Donald Trump tonight.
ⓘ The summary is made with the support of AI tools from OpenAI and quality assured by Aftonbladet. Read our AI policy here.
Show more
chevron-down
Trump won over Nikki Haley last night in the Republican primary in Michigan.
Joe Biden fought himself in the Democratic equivalent.
He won.
Slap for Biden
But it was still a real blow to the president.
In a typical election year, about 20,000 people check the “uncommitted” box, much like a blank vote, when they vote in the Democratic primary in Michigan.
This means that you show up at the polling station to vote, but do not choose a candidate. Most often, it is a way to show that you support the party – but not directly one of the candidates.
When about 50 percent of the votes were counted in this year’s primary election in Michigan at 06:00 this morning, more than 63,000 people had already voted out the president and instead voted blankly.
expand-left
full screen Elections in Dearborn. Photo: Paul Sancya/AP
Angry about the war
This corresponds to approximately 13 percent of all votes cast.
The reason for the protest votes is anger over Biden’s way of handling the war in Gaza and his strong support for Israel.
Michigan has a large population with roots in Arab countries, and a campaign to protest by voting unattached gained traction in the party.
It has been demanded that Joe Biden stand behind a permanent ceasefire in Gaza to alleviate the distress of the population and stop the civilian deaths.
It fared worst for Joe Biden In Dearborn, the city in Michigan with the largest number of residents with Arab roots.
expand-left
full screen President Joe Biden. Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
75 percent protest votes
There, the president received a shocking 23 percent of the vote, despite the fact that the only challenger, Dean Phillips, as in previous primaries, only received a couple of percent of the vote.
75 percent of the votes counted were “unbound”.
Former congressman Andy Levin of Michigan called the result last night “historic.”
– It’s not just about Arab-Americans and the Muslim population. It’s young people who want their voices to be heard and who have the same concerns, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell told CNN.
May boycott in November
Biden has admitted that Benjamin Netanyahu and his government “went too far,” but so far has not criticized Israel in any harsher terms for the way it handled the war against Hamas.
Protest votes in a primary are one thing.
But even worse for Joe Biden is that many Democrats in Michigan say they are so disappointed in the president that they do not intend to vote for him in the presidential election in November either.
Instead, thousands of voters may boycott the entire election.
For the Democrats, it could turn out to be a nightmare. Michigan is one of the swing states that Biden probably needs to take home to win the election.
Trump’s joy
And if enough Democrats in Michigan stay on the couch, it opens the door for Donald Trump to win the state — and possibly the entire election.
Trump called into the Republican caucus in Michigan and thanked all the support in his primary election.
The ex-president predicted a big victory in November.
– If we win in Michigan, we win everything, Trump said.
In 2016, Trump won Michigan over Hillary Clinton by only 11,000 votes.