A fiery “uncommitted” campaign by activists disillusioned with the US president's handling of the Israel Hamas war made an impact.
ADVERTISEMENTJoe Biden has won the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan, despite a significant protest over his policy towards the war in Gaza.
The US president faced no real challenger in the contest, likely winning 80% of the vote overall.
But his support was hit by a recent campaign urging Democrats to vote “uncommitted”, amid anger and betrayal some Arab American and younger voters in the state feel for Biden.
Their number could single weakness for Biden, who can hardly afford to lose such support with elections due in November.
As of Tuesday night, “uncommitted” had received 74,000 votes out of a total of more than 580,000 - approximately 13%.
Trump won Michigan in 2016 by just 11,000 votes, meaning these "uncommitted voters" could play a pivotal role in the upcoming election.
Michigan has the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the nation. More than 310,000 residents are of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry.
Trump is also projected to win the Republican primary in the state, describing Tuesday as a "great day".
"We're going to win big," he told a campaign celebration event.
But there were early signs that Trump was continuing to struggle with some influential voter blocs who have favored his Republican rival Nikki Haley in previous contests.
Haley’s strongest performance Tuesday night came in areas with college towns like Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, and suburbs around Detroit and Grand Rapids.
Biden and Trump's wins on Tuesday further solidified the all-but-certain rematch between the two men for the 2024 US Presidential Elections.