Trump calls Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a 'jihadist' in campaign rally

President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, calling him a 'jihadist' and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and comparing him to the hijackers of United Flight 93 on 9/11. The race for Michigan's open Senate seat is one of the most competitive in the country, with El-Sayed and Republican former Representative Mike Rogers in a tight contest ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Source: La República (CO)

The attack

At the rally, Trump said, 'I'm here to stop a jihadist, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, from becoming a U.S. senator.' He invoked Todd Beamer, a Michigan native who helped thwart the 9/11 hijackers, urging the state to 'stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from entering the Capitol.' Source: La República (CO) Trump also claimed El-Sayed wants to 'impose sharia law' in the U.S. and joked that he would be 'the only senator who would have to go through a metal detector before being allowed into the Senate.' Source: infobae

The response

El-Sayed dismissed the attacks, suggesting Trump's focus on his name reveals hypocrisy. 'I understand that the president of the United States takes my first name as a personal offense,' El-Sayed said at a Grand Rapids event. 'He doesn't mind it so much when it comes to a common name among the Saudis who finance his son-in-law's venture capital fund, nor does he seem to care so much when it's the Qataris who give him a $400 million private jet.' Source: La República (CO) In a separate video statement, El-Sayed added, 'Starting in November, you can keep calling me senator.' Source: CNN

The stakes

Michigan's Senate race is critical for control of the chamber. Polls show El-Sayed with a slight lead over Rogers. Source: infobae Trump's rally targeted a district where he won 66% of the vote in 2024. Source: La República (CO)