The Uncommitted National Movement won’t endorse Vice President Harris for the White House, the pro-Palestinian group said on Thursday, even as it opposes former President Trump and cautions against supporting third-party presidential candidates.
“At this time, our movement 1) cannot endorse Vice President Harris; 2) opposes a Donald Trump presidency, whose agenda includes plans to accelerate the killing in Gaza while intensifying the suppression of anti-war organizing; and 3) is not recommending a third-party vote in the Presidential election,” the group said in a release, noting that third-party votes in critical swing states could “inadvertently” boost Trump.
The movement emerged during this year’s Democratic presidential primaries, when President Biden was running largely unopposed for his party's nomination. Democrats frustrated by the Biden administration’s actions over the war in Gaza opted for an “uncommitted” option on the ballot in several states as a protest vote against the president.
"Uncommitted" snagged more than two dozen delegates to the Democratic National Convention last month, but activists largely left the party gathering upset that Harris — who replaced Biden at the top of the ticket — didn't offer a stronger condemnation of the conflict than they had seen from her boss. Others were angered by the denial of their requests for a a Palestinian American to speak before the convention.
“For months, we have urged Vice President Harris to shift her Gaza policy so we could mobilize voters in key states to save lives and our democracy. The DNC and the Vice President’s campaign fumbled even a small gesture to unite our party ahead of November by rejecting the simple request for a Palestinian American speaker," the movement said in their Thursday statement.
Uncommitted argued that Harris's "unwillingness to shift on unconditional weapons policy or to even make a clear campaign statement in support of upholding existing U.S. and international human rights law" has made it "impossible for us to endorse her."
But the group also condemned Trump, who they said has "bragged about accelerating the genocide against Palestinians and promised to intensify the suppression of pro-Palestinian activism in the U.S.," and urged against third-party votes.
"We must block Donald Trump, which is why we urge Uncommitted voters to vote against him and avoid third-party candidates that could inadvertently boost his chances, as Trump openly boasts that third parties will help his candidacy," the statement read.
The announcement comes as Harris is set to make a campaign stop in Michigan, where the Uncommitted movement started before expanding to other states, on Thursday.
Michigan is one of a few pivotal battlegrounds, and the latest polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ show Harris up just 1 point in the state.