Cornel West courts Muslim and Arab-American voters in quest for presidency

Independent presidential candidate Cornel West has been courting a group President Joe Biden may struggle to attract in the upcoming 2024 election: Muslim and Arab-American voters.

Muslim and Arab community leaders rallied around the prominent activist, author and philosopher by recently hosting fundraisers for him in Michigan -- a key battleground state -- and California.

"We got to do something," West said at a rally in Dearborn, Michigan, in December. "That's why I'm here to tell the world and especially straight to Gaza, where they're dealing with a genocidal assault. We believe that a Palestinian baby has the same value as any baby in the world."

Biden has faced mounting criticism over the way his administration has handled the Israel-Hamas war. According to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, 57% of Americans disapprove of how Biden is handling the conflict with an even deeper divide among young voters. Three quarters of young voters between 18 and 29 say they disapprove of the administration's handling of the war.

Although there's less reliable polling on the extent of their feelings, some Muslim voters tell ABC News that they are struggling to support President Biden as he seeks a second term. While the president has stated he is campaigning to save "democracy and freedom," West is hoping to seize on that feeling by highlighting his own commitment to Muslims.

Xena Shawarev, a Muslim from Pittsburgh, told ABC News that the 2024 election feels like it could force her to choose the candidate who is the lesser of two evils: former President Donald Trump or Biden.

"It just seems that campaigning that the other side is more evil doesn't represent who's good. It just represents who's less evil. And if we're gonna keep running on who's less evil. I think we're just moving step by step closer to just evil," Shawarev said.

In a statement to ABC News, West said Muslim and Arab communities "hold a special place in my heart."

"Their rich history, deep faith, and resilient spirit are sources of profound inspiration. My roots may be on the chocolate side of town, but we share a struggle for truth and justice," West said. "The goal of my presidential campaign is to represent the voices in all communities who feel disenfranchised within the corrupt two-party system."

West has not broken through any national polls, according to 538's national polling average, but he is getting some financial support. He raised $100,000 at a fundraiser in California last weekend, the event co-sponsor confirmed to ABC News. It's the largest amount he has raised at a fundraiser since he launched his campaign in June 2023.

West's history of support

West's support of the Muslim and Arab communities predates the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

In the Gaza Strip, more than 23,300 people have been killed by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health. In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to Israeli officials.

In 2014, West called then-President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "war criminals" over the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

In December, he called on the International Criminal Court to launch an immediate investigation into likely war crimes committed by Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

"Dr. Cornel West has for the last 40 years been consistent in his values and his beliefs. And we're just saying to everybody that enough is enough," Dr. Arbazz Muhammad, a co-founder of Muslim Visionaries, the group that hosted West's recent California fundraiser, told ABC News.

"This year for many Muslims, it's about voting our conscience," Muhammad added. "We believe that we're planting the seeds for a long-term vision, where people deal with our community with respect, honor, with dignity, and a commitment to truth and justice."

The Muslim and Arab communities have large concentrations in Michigan, a key swing state. Michigan has one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States with roughly 206,000 registered Muslim voters -- a 22% jump from 2016, according to Emgage, a Muslim political advocacy group. Biden won the state in 2020 by only about 155,000 votes.

Dawud Walid, executive director of Michigan's chapter of The Council on American-Islamic Relations, told ABC News that although a true politician "always seizes his moment," West has been "consistent" in his support for the community.

Will West be on the ballot?

Third-party candidates have a nearly impossible path to the White House. The constitution makes no mention of political parties, but America's traditional two party system has left little room for other candidates to get a substantial following, according to Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center.

"There is no path for a third-party or minor-party candidate to become president of the United States," Perry said. "But you might get the ruling party, right now the Biden White House, to begin to have second thoughts about their views."

To get on a state's ballot, West would have to accumulate enough signatures to satisfy each state's threshold. With a relatively small campaign staff, that is a nearly impossible goal.

The last time America had a new major party was during the Civil War when the Republican Party was created as the anti-slavery party and led by Abraham Lincoln. As the country becomes more polarized, maybe this is the moment another "splinter" party can become a major party, Perry said.

Although West's chances of becoming president are likely nonexistent as a third-party candidate, he could pose an obstacle for Biden, who already has low approval ratings, by siphoning away votes that could ultimately cost him the election.

West, according to Perry, has been able to "see" and "seize" this moment. She said that one benefit of third-party candidates is they can take what's of "concern to people who already may be likely constituents for them, get a megaphone" and have a stage for their message even more than usual.

West is set to speak at rally on D.C.'s National Mall this weekend. Walid, the executive director of CAIR'S Michigan branch, told ABC News that a vote for the independent candidate would be a "mixture" of simply voting for West and against Biden.

But Amer Zahr, a Palestinian American from Michigan, said he feels it's "too early in the process for our community to throw their support behind one person yet."

Right now, he said his main interest is in "punishing" Biden and the Democrats so that they know his voice is not "worthless."

"Now, who knows what things will look like in six months from now. But right now, people are hurt and devastated," Zahr said. "I would vote for anybody over Biden, including Trump. Biden is currently on the bottom of my list of choices."