Progressive college students despair Trump could win because of protests over Israel: 'Genuinely concerned'
Young progressive voters in Michigan fear President Biden could lose the election to former President Trump because of left-wing backlash over Israel, according to a new report.
"Michigan is up for grabs, and I did not think I'd be saying this right now. And I wish I wasn't saying this right now, but I am genuinely concerned about which way Michigan will go," a recent University of Michigan graduate, Jade Gray, told CNN's John King.
Several students said Biden's failure to take a hard stance against Israel's campaign and to demand a cease-fire has lost him many younger and progressive voters. Gray worried it could cost the president Michigan, a battleground state with one of the largest Arab-American populations in the U.S.
"A lot of our generation is also considering going third party, but I kind of fear it‘s going to split up the votes and end up falling back on Trump, which I wouldn't want to happen," Wayne State University student Summer Matkin told CNN.
The students also said many of their friends would stay home in November or vote third-party because of their discontent over Biden.
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Still, Matkin was critical of Biden.
"No matter how many Taylor Swift references you make, you'll never understand us," she said. "I think he has handled everything with Israel and Palestine terribly."
Anti-Israel protesters disrupted the University of Michigan graduation ceremony on Saturday. Colleges across the country have begun cracking down on campus protests, with many canceling their commencements.
Protests have also followed Biden on the campaign trail, leading liberal outlets like MSNBC to warn that he's at risk of losing progressive voters in key battleground states over the issue. However, a poll released Wednesday shows Democrats are divided on the campus protests.
According to the USA Today/Suffolk University poll, 32% of Democrats questioned said they support the demonstrations, while 38% said they agree with the protesters' demands but oppose the way they are conducting themselves. Seventeen percent of Democrats said they oppose the protests.
Biden has also angered pro-Israel advocates within his party over his shifting support for Israel. Some Democrats criticized his decision to withhold U.S. weapons to Israel if it invades Rafah as "pandering to the far left."
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.