The group that has come to be called "The squad", roughly "the gang" in Swedish, consists of four female representatives who were all elected to Congress in the 2018 midterm election and belong to the Democratic Party's left wing.
Three of the members – Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley – backed Kamala Harris already in July. But the fourth, Rashida Tlaib, has been critical of Harris and the Democratic Party's actions regarding the war in Gaza.
Don't underestimate the power that you all have, said Tlaib at an election meeting organized by the trade union United Auto Workers in Michigan on Friday.
Instead of urging voters to vote for Kamala Harris, Tlaib focused on urging voters to vote in general – and to persuade friends and family to vote.
More than all the ads, more than billboards – you all have more power to get others to go and vote, people who understand that we must push back against corporate greed in our country, said Rashida Tlaib.
Earlier on Friday, Tlaib also criticized the Republican candidate Donald Trump. In a post on X, she called him an "Islamophobe and serial liar who does not support peace."
"The truth is that the Biden administration's unconditional support for genocide is what got us here. This should be a wake-up call for those who continue to support genocide. This election didn't have to be close," writes Tlaib.
