According to an internal research survey carried out by the Republican party, Indian Americans are expected to play a very important role in the battleground states when the US Presidential elections will be held in November. As per the survey, the Indian American community are supporting incumbent President Donald Trump.
A combination of 12 factors is driving this vote bank towards the Republican president. Indian Americans who traditionally voted for the democrats are now supporting Trump due to Trump’s friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his outreach and respect towards Indian Americans.
The survey was carried out by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee. From the survey, it was discovered that unlike the president’s predecessors and the current challenger, Joe Biden, Trump has stayed away from the internal affairs of India, in particular on issues like Kashmir. Also, Indian Americans feel Trump has been playing a visible role in elevating India’s stature on the world stage.
“Trump has elevated India’s stature on the world stage. Of course, due credit also goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his skilled policy towards the US. The India-US relationship has been rock solid. Kudos to the brilliance of both Trump and Modi for cementing the bond between India and US,” says the survey. “His family echoes the same sentiments,” it said.
“It is mostly about the Trump-Modi factor,” the survey said. Also, Indian Americans are deeply appreciative of Trump’s full-throated support for India as it is in the midst of a potentially deadly standoff against China in the unforgiving Himalayan heights.
Other factors include Trump’ calling out China with regards to its inequitable trade policies, not starting a new war and America’s economic revival to the pre-COVID-19 era.
One part of the memo reads, “Every Indian American in the US has a family member back home like old parents, brother, sister, friend, business. They want India to be respected and protected from China, which is what Trump can provide. They fear that without Trump, China would start a war with India,”.
For the first time in US electoral politics, Indians will play a crucial role as they are in substantial numbers in “swing states” which will determine who will win in November.
According to the survey, Indian Americans comprise a substantial and potentially decisive share of the electorate:
- 190,000 potential voters in Florida
- 120,000 in Michigan
- 170,000 in Pennsylvania
- 150,000 in Georgia
- 110,000 in North Carolina
- 165,000 in Virginia
- 470,000 in Texas
The survey results of Mason show, “This mass defection could add tens of thousands of new Trump voters in key battleground states and could very well end up helping to secure the president’s re-election,” said the survey. “Biden, Harris, Democrats and Trump haters fear Mason as he is the one who has orchestrated the mass exodus of Indian Americans in the battleground states towards Trump by his research, views and messaging,” said venture capitalist Sridhar Chityala, who is also a member of the Indian Voices for Trump.
“They fear him because the video ‘4 More Years’, conceptualised by him and launched by Kimberly Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr, has crossed the 10 million-mark and resonates with the community. Al Mason’s fundraising efforts also yield results,” said Chityala.