New York
Former Vice President Joe Biden received endorsements from several Muslim American leaders before addressing the Million Muslim Votes summit on Tuesday.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), were among several Muslim American officials who signed a letter endorsing Biden on Monday. Omar’s endorsement was especially notable seeing as she was a big supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and continues to be a leading progressive voice in the House.
Biden then went on to open his speech with a request: “I wish we were taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith,” calling it “one of the great confessional faiths” that “come[s] from the same root” as Christian religions.
Later in his video speech, Biden promised viewers he would end President Trump’s ban on travel from several Muslim-majority countries “on day one.”
The Million Muslim Votes Summit is organized by Emgage Action, the U.S.’s largest Muslim American PAC. Hillary Clinton didn’t attend any Engage events during her 2016 run, The Washington Post notes, and former President Barack Obama was “cautious” about doing so.—AP
