Muslim leaders who backed Trump upset by his pro-Israel Cabinet picks

Muslim support helped him win Michigan and may have led to other swing state wins

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US Muslim leaders who supported Republican Donald Trump to protest against the Biden administration's support for Israel's war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon have been deeply disappointed by his Cabinet picks, they tell Reuters.

"Trump won because of us and we're not happy with his secretary of state pick and others," said Mr. Rabiul Chowdhury, a Philadelphia investor who chaired the Abandon Harris campaign in Pennsylvania and co-founded Muslims for Trump.

Muslim support for Trump helped him win Michigan and may have factored into other swing state wins, strategists believe.

Trump picked Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a staunch supporter of Israel, for secretary of state.

Mr. Rubio said earlier in 2024 that he would not call for a cease-fire in Gaza, and that he believed Israel should destroy "every element" of Hamas.

"These people are vicious animals," he had added.

Trump also nominated Mr. Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and staunch pro-Israel conservative who backs Israeli occupation of the West Bank and has called a two-state solution in Palestine "unworkable," as the next ambassador to Israel.