There is an unstoppable uprising going on. And however far we get, people are not going to stop. This is not just for the election,” Green Party Presidential candidate Jill Stein told MintPress Director Mnar Adley: “The fight will not be over, no matter what. This is a long-term battle, and it is so uplifting to see how ready people are to be in it for the long haul.”
Earlier this week, the 74-year-old doctor-turned-politician took time out of her campaigning schedule to meet with MintPress News’ Mnar Adley in Minneapolis, MN. Stein’s campaign has been drawing an unusual amount of attention – and support – in 2024, thanks to a Democratic administration that many in the U.S. feel is doing nothing to help them or to stop a genocide in Gaza.
While other Western nations, such as France, Spain and Italy, mull over weapons boycotts to Israel, the Biden-Harris administration has green-lit $18 billion in arms aid since October 7, 2023, meaning that the carnage in the Middle East has been directly funded and enabled by the U.S. taxpayer.
This has led to unprecedented levels of disillusionment and anger among younger people and the Arab and Muslim-American population. A recent poll found that 40% of Muslim-American voters in Michigan support Jill Stein’s candidacy, as opposed to just 12% who plan to vote for Kamala Harris. Michigan is a key swing state and is home to the country’s largest Arab-American population. Nationally, Stein and Harris are tied among Muslim-American voters.
In response, Democratic leadership has diverted resources away from opposing Republicans and towards undermining Stein, funding a series of attack ads against the Green Party leader. Stein suggested that this tactic betrays deep insecurity among Democratic leadership, who fear the rise of a progressive third party, telling Adley:
The Democrats are really worried because they have lost the Arab-American and Muslim-American vote, and that makes the margin of difference in many of the swing states. So, instead of changing their policy to earn those votes, they would rather distract and simply blame me for ‘spoiling the election’ by offering a solution to stop the genocide.
They could earn those votes back in a heartbeat if they just implemented a weapons boycott right now. But they don’t want to do that. They would rather lose the election so that they can continue the genocide. Shame on them.”
With the polls open, we could be in for a historic night for the Green Party—one that could determine the fate of the 2024 election.
Watch the full interview exclusively here at MintPress News.
Mnar Adley is an award-winning journalist and editor and is the founder and director of MintPress News. She is also president and director of the non-profit media organization Behind the Headlines. Adley also co-hosts the MintCast podcast and is a producer and host of the video series Behind The Headlines. Contact Mnar at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @mnarmuh.
