Bismillah.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s election victory, narratives have emerged trying to downplay the impact of Gaza on the Democrats’ defeat. Worse still, some have pushed the idea that "Americans don't care about genocide," a cynical generalization that ignores the power of collective conscience. But the facts tell a different story.

This year, 13 million fewer people turned out for the Democrats than in 2020. These missing voters did not defect to Trump—they simply stayed home. And although a range of issues likely contributed to this absence, the brutal genocide in Gaza is undoubtedly one of them. Poll after poll shows a significant portion of Americans opposed to the Biden administration’s support for ‘Israel’s’ assault on Gaza, with many calling for a halt to U.S. arms sales to the Zionist regime. Yet the Democrats gambled on the idea that voters would ignore these atrocities—and they lost.

Let’s be clear: claiming that "Americans don’t care about genocide" is both dismissive and unfounded. This rhetoric, built on assumption rather than evidence, undermines our power and dismisses the very real shift we are seeing among voters. To be effective, we must take this opportunity to reframe the narrative: the Democrats lost because they chose complicity in genocide over justice. Their historic defeat is a reminder that support for violent oppression has a political cost—and it is our job to ensure that cost is felt.

Trump’s win reveals a reactionary shift across the country, stemming from the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to deliver on their promises to ordinary people. Their neglect of the issues that matter—racial justice, economic equity, and human rights—has left a void filled by a right-wing movement that scapegoats minorities for the problems created by those in power. In swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, key Democratic losses reflect the fallout of alienating voters by supporting the most horrific genocide of our time.

With over 75% of Democratic voters supporting an arms embargo on Israel, the party’s strategy of isolating its own base was destined to fail. And now, we must recognize that Trump’s administration will likely intensify this repression—both in Gaza and here at home. We know he will continue to fund and support Israel’s violence against Palestinians, escalate violence against immigrants at the Southern border, and target marginalized communities and social justice movements with even greater force.

For the past year, our movement for Palestinian liberation has mobilized millions across the United States to stand against these injustices. And today, we commit to expanding that fight, building alliances with movements across this country against American imperial violence—abroad and here at home. Our work now is to create a mass movement that not only confronts America’s genocide in Gaza but envisions a world based on justice, dignity, and freedom. We must resist repression with unity and align all those who will be targeted under Trump’s administration toward a shared future of liberation.

Let’s be clear: the Democrats have shown us that they will not be moved by moral conscience, not on Palestine and not on any other issue. The responsibility to bring an end to genocide and change the status quo rests with the people—not through moral appeals to imperial politicians, but through grassroots organizing and mobilization. This includes strategies like a people’s arms embargo that challenges and makes untenable policies rooted in imperialism and oppression.

The struggle continues. Let’s use this moment to strengthen our resolve, broaden our coalitions, and fight for a world where justice and liberation are non-negotiable. Together, we will continue to build the path toward a free and liberated Palestine and a world free from oppression.

May Allah use us and not replace us in the path toward liberation.

In solidarity and struggle,
The Palestine Diaspora Movement (PDM)