Georgia's Muslim voters withdraw support from Harris, Trump over Middle East stance

ATLANTA - A growing group of Muslim voters in Georgia say they won’t support Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, citing both candidates' vocal support of Israel in the escalating conflict in the Middle East. 

In Georgia, where every vote is expected to count, the decision could significantly impact both campaigns. According to a recent poll by the Arab American Institute, Muslim voters in the nation are almost evenly split between Harris and Trump. Losing support from this key group could prove costly for both. 

Kristen Truitt, a Muslim American voter in Atlanta, has historically voted for Democrats but says he is now breaking ranks over the party’s stance on Israel.

"Just to give unlimited funds and access to Israel, I think that is totally ridiculous," Truitt said. 

Truitt is part of a nationwide movement of Muslim voters who have decided not to vote for either major party candidate, citing frustration over U.S. support of Israel’s war in Gaza, which is now expanding into Lebanon.

"What we're trying to say is we should really do away with the logic of voting for the ‘lesser of two evils,’" said Kareem Rosshandler, Georgia co-chair of the "Abandon Harris" campaign. 

Rosshandler's group is encouraging Muslim voters to go third-party, aiming to send a message to both Republicans and Democrats.

"I think the main one is to say that the Muslim community in the United States won't be taken for granted," he added. 

However, experts say the loss of Muslim voters may not affect both parties equally.

"That would essentially have a greater adverse impact on the Harris-Waltz ticket than it would on Trump-Vance," said Alicia Hughes, assistant professor of law at Emory University and a voting expert. "Trump, historically, has not been able to count on those votes." 

Rosshandler claims his group has already secured commitments from more than 10,000 Muslim voters to support third-party candidates. Yet, Hughes warns that taking a stronger stance on Israel might not be a winning strategy for either side.

"There's a great possibility that you would lose more from the change than you would actually gain," she said. 

Both the Trump and Harris campaigns have been contacted for comment but have yet to respond.