Trump couldn’t pronounce ‘Assyrians.’ The community is happy to be in the spotlight

Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — Assyrian Americans got an influx of attention when former President Donald Trump mangled the word “Assyrian” while giving a shout out at a rally in Arizona. Assyrians are Christians tracing their ancestry to ancient Mesopotamia in the modern Middle East. Much of the community has fled their homeland following centuries of atrocities. The Census Bureau estimates the Assyrian population in the United States is around 95,000 people, but they are concentrated in the crucial swing state of Michigan, with a smaller population in battleground Arizona. Their votes could make a difference in an election that is expected to be extremely close, and both campaigns are actively courting them.