Politics
Trump’s Michigan rally targets Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with anti-Muslim attacks
At a Port Huron rally, President Donald Trump called Abdul El-Sayed a national security threat and questioned his loyalty, escalating a campaign dispute over the Democratic Senate candidate’s faith. El-Sayed and a former Arab American Trump ally condemned the rhetoric as an attack on Muslim and Arab communities.
PORT HURON, Mich. — President Donald Trump used a campaign rally in Port Huron on Sunday, Oct. 25, to intensify attacks on Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a “jihadist” and suggesting he was aligned with terrorists. El-Sayed has denied ties to extremist groups, and there is no evidence that he is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim repeatedly raised by Republicans.
Trump also invoked the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and said El-Sayed would have to pass through a metal detector to enter the Senate. The remarks drew criticism from Bishara Bahbah, who helped found Arab Americans for Trump, the group that worked to attract Arab American voters in 2024.
“The president’s statements are out of line,” Bahbah said, calling them racist. He said the comments would be remembered by voters on Nov. 3.
El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official, responded at a rally in Grand Rapids later Sunday. He said he was unconcerned with Trump’s repeated mockery of his name and told supporters Trump could call him “senator” after the election. If elected, El-Sayed would be the nation’s first Muslim senator.
The contest between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers is one of several Senate races that could determine control of the chamber. The candidates are vying for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. At a recent debate, Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s loyalty to the United States; El-Sayed called the question shameful and cited the Constitution’s protection of religious freedom.
Rogers has sought to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic movement with branches designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government. Republicans have also pointed to a 2012 social media post by El-Sayed’s half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, who wrote that her family had long been connected to the movement. El-Sayed was born in the United States to Egyptian immigrant parents and was raised by his father after his parents separated when he was young.
Trump also attacked Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota at the rally, saying he had come to Michigan to prevent a “jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member” from entering the Senate. The president’s remarks came as Republicans face voter concerns over inflation, fuel costs and the war in Iran, and as his campaign has sought to portray Democrats as threats to the country.
The rally took place in a border city about an hour north of Detroit, near communities where Trump made gains among Arab American voters in 2024. He became the first Republican presidential candidate since 2000 to win Dearborn, which has one of the country’s largest Arab American populations. Many Dearborn voters were angered by the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, speaking at El-Sayed’s Grand Rapids rally, said Trump and his allies were using Islamophobia rather than addressing issues such as health care, housing and income inequality. El-Sayed has also faced criticism over past comments, including a statement after an attack on a Detroit-area synagogue. He later apologized, saying he had not intended to justify the attack.
Trump’s Port Huron event offered no new economic investment pledge for Michigan, a state closely tied to the auto industry. He repeated announcements about investments automakers had already made. Rapper Nicki Minaj appeared at the rally and urged voters to support the state’s Republican candidates.