Biden, Embarrassed by 'Uncommitted' Voters, Wins in Michigan, CNN Projects

President Joe Biden has won the Michigan Democratic primary election, according to projections from CNN, despite an effort by progressives to sway voters to withhold their support and vote "uncommitted."

Biden faced some uncertainty in Michigan, a swing state that he narrowly won in 2020 and now shows mounting dissatisfaction among its significant Muslim population over his support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. However, on Monday, Biden said that he is hopeful negotiators will reach a deal that would pause Israel's military operations in Gaza within the week.

The president is campaigning for a second term in the White House and has easily won every Democratic primary election of the 2024 presidential race, despite being challenged for the party's nomination by author Marianne Williamson and Representative Dean Phillips from Minnesota.

CNN called Michigan's Democratic primary for Biden at 9 p.m. local time right as polls across the state closed.

While the president garnered about 78.5 of the vote, "uncommitted" still amassed 16.2 percent, according to results from CNN shortly after 9 p.m. More than 22,000 Michigan residents had cast their ballots for "uncommitted" by 9:30 p.m.

Williamson had 2.8 percent, while Phillips trailed at 2.7 percent, according to the network and Associated Press (AP) results.

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday night to Biden representatives for comment.

The 'Uncommitted' Movement

The president has faced increasing scrutiny from some progressive Democrats over his continued support for Israel as the civilian death toll rises in Gaza. After Hamas launched an attack against Israel on October 7, Biden backed Israel's right to defend itself and has voiced support for increasing aid. While the president has expressed concerns about the number of civilian deaths, critics say he hasn't gone far enough to ensure protections or push for a ceasefire.

Hamas' October 7 strike on Israel left roughly 1,200 people dead, with an estimated 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. In response to the deadly raid, Israel launched its heaviest-ever ground and air offensive in Gaza, which has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians in the territory and displaced more than 80 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million population, according to AP, citing the Gaza Health Ministry.

Pro-Palestinian critics of Biden were hoping to send him a warning in Michigan's Democratic primary by voting "uncommitted." The movement earned the support of high-profile progressives, including Palestinian American Representative Rashida Tlaib.

Tlaib, who represents parts of the Detroit area in Congress, said in a video shared Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter, that she was "proud" to pull a Democratic ballot and vote "uncommitted."

"We must protect our democracy. We must make sure that our government is about us, about the people," Tlaib said in the clip posted by the Listen to Michigan campaign, which had been calling for the protest vote against Biden.

"When 74 percent of Democrats in Michigan support a ceasefire, yet President Biden is not hearing us, this is the way we can use our democracy to say 'listen,'" the congresswoman continued. "'Listen to Michigan.'"

Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday to Tlaib's office for comment.

Biden Campaign Responds

Mitch Landrieu, a former Biden administration senior adviser and current national co-chair for the president's reelection campaign, responded to the "uncommitted" movement on CNN Tuesday night.

"Joe Biden had a really, really strong night tonight. You can't cut it any other way than that," Landrieu said. "That is not to say that the 'uncommitted' vote wasn't substantial. They're sending a message. The president, as you know, has gotten the message."

Landrieu said that the president has sent a "number" of senior advisers to Michigan to discuss the "uncommitted" movement.

"This is a very complicated issue," he said. "The president continues to make sure that we put American interests first and is working hard, as you know, on humanitarian aid, working on a ceasefire so that we can actually get the hostages out, and continues to listen to this very difficult pain that communities are going through all across the country, both in the Jewish community and the Muslim and Palestinian community as well. That message has been delivered."

Democrats React

In an interview with Newsweek at Capitol Hill on Tuesday, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, broke with progressives on the issue and said she blames Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than Biden for the strife in Gaza.

When asked by a Newsweek reporter what she thought of the Michigan campaign to vote uncommitted against Biden, Warren responded: "President Biden will be the Democratic nominee, and we need for him to beat Donald Trump, which he will."

Warren said that while she understands the reasoning for the protest vote, she criticized Netanyahu for creating a humanitarian disaster.

"I understand that this is an issue that is deeply painful for many people. I lay these problems directly at the feet of Benjamin Netanyahu, who has prosecuted the war against Hamas in a way to create a humanitarian disaster," Warren told Newsweek. "Our responsibility now is to get those hostages back, to get a ceasefire in place to open up for greater humanitarian aid and to push the parties hard to move toward a two-state solution. Netanyahu has indicated quite publicly that he's not on board, and we need to be pushing back hard against him."

Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, blasted the progressive effort against Biden.

"Give them their own MAGA hats," Fetterman told Newsweek. "Go ahead and try to tank Biden in Michigan—they are going to have to look forward to the Muslim Ban version 2.0."

Update 02/27/24, 10:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comment from Landrieu.