UFC fighters visit Dearborn, Michigan and urge Arab Americans to vote for Trump

DEARBORN, Michigan – UFC fighters came to town with America’s largest gathering of Arab Americans – just hours after Donald Trump visited a Lebanese café down the street – They are being urged to vote Republican To ensure peace in the Middle East.

Arab-American attendees filled tables at Yemeni restaurant Sheba’s on Friday to watch Rashad Evans, Frankie Edgar and Henry Cejudo make their case for Trump.

of dearborn large muslim population The show’s Yemeni-born host, 19-year-old Ali Aljahami, whose family owns the restaurant, sees these fighters as heroes, he told The Post.

“He loves UFC. They praise him. He is a hero to them. We had a lot of people, most of them coming out for this very reason. That’s why they’re here,” he said.

The invite-only event links to a months-long effort by Trump campaign officials to woo Arab Americans and Muslims upset over the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Former ambassador to Germany and native of Michigan Richard GrenellJoe, who has been at the center of the effort, told the crowd, “We must have someone who will do the hard work of digging deep, meeting, listening, and demanding peace. A strong leader like Donald Trump. And by the way, let’s be very clear – Donald Trump virtually handed world peace to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. No war in Europe, no war in the Middle East.”

Grenell, who highlights how the Trump administration would end the war, declined an interview but told The Post over text message the next day, “Trump has already delivered peace and Arab Israeli peace accords. Arabs, Muslims and Jews want an end to terrorism and killing. Kamala does not even talk about the huge and growing war. “She doesn’t know how to stop it.”

Edgar, a star retired UFC fighter, told the audience he could relate to his daily experiences more than the average athlete.

“I hate those celebrity videos that tell us what to do. But we are not Hollywood celebrities. We’re blue-collar fighters,” said Edgar, a New Jersey native. “And before I was a fighter, I was a union plumber. Now that I’m retired, I have my own business. I am a family man. My children go to school. These are all issues that we have in common and these are issues that I care about. And that’s why I’m voting for Donald Trump.

Beloved mixed-martial-arts fighter Abe Alsaghir, an Arab-American, echoed the foreign-policy message as a former airborne infantry member, saying he believes Trump will bring peace to the Middle East.

Alsaghir said the Biden administration ordered him to the Middle East in 2020, but he managed to avoid deployment.

“I did everything I could to get out, honorable discharge, all that stuff. “I finally went out and started fighting,” he said. “When Trump was not president, there was no order, there was no such thing. “I just want you to vote for the right president and that’s Donald Trump.”

This peace-oriented message was also highlighted by a semi-truck outside – paid for by ABE PAC, the Arab Americans for a Better America political-action committee, organizer of the event – ​​carrying an LED sign reading , “Stop Kamala Stop War.”

But foreign policy was not the only item on the agenda. Former UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist Cejudo spoke on the issue Transgender participation in women’s sports,

“You’re fighting for your dreams, and when you realize there’s a guy in the women’s game who’s winning your daughter’s or your son’s trophy,” she said.

The event was interrupted when Evans, a former fighter, was interrupted by two female protesters shouting while he supported Trump.

“Genocide supporters!” shouted a protestor from outside the event. A group of men immediately left the venue to escort them out of the restaurant.

In interviews with The Post, attendees repeatedly emphasized foreign policy And peace abroad is the top priority.

One attendee, a Yemeni American who wanted to remain anonymous, told The Post before the event that he had never voted Republican but might be ready to change in 2024. But later, he said he was disappointed and would reconsider his decision.

“I have come here looking for change. But to be honest, I didn’t really hear what I really wanted to hear. “After all the speeches, I wasn’t as confident as I thought I was,” he said.

“I want to hear more foreign policy. I want to hear how Trump will stop the wars in the Middle East, unify the Middle East,” he said. “But to come here and just talk about transsexuals or gender — America is built on diversity.”

Michigan’s Muslim and Middle Eastern populations are likely to be divided on the Nov. 5 vote.

After the event, Aljahami told The Post, “Some people are going without any votes. The rest are going with Donald Trump. Very, very little for Kamala to get zero votes.”

One October Arab-American Institute voting showed that Harris and Trump were nearly tied among Arab Americans nationally, with Trump receiving 42% of their support and Harris receiving 41%.

Also in attendance was Lebanese-American pro-Trump activist Hassan Aoun, who says he believes Trump will bring stability back to the Middle East.

“We urgently need ceasefire abroadAnd he’s the only person to do that,” Aoun said. “He made peace a long time ago.”