US President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Abdul El-Sayed, describing the Democratic candidate as a radical Islamist and urging Michigan voters to prevent him from winning a seat in the US Senate. During a rally in Port Huron, Trump invoked the September 11, 2001, attacks to reinforce his opposition to the candidate.
“I’m here to keep a jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator,” Trump told supporters at the event. Port Huron is located in a Michigan region where Trump secured 66 per cent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election.
If elected, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim member of the US Senate. Trump has repeatedly portrayed him as an anti-American radical, and on Sunday drew a comparison between the candidate and the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 during the 9/11 attacks.
Michigan is expected to be a key battleground in the November 3 midterm elections. Republican former US Representative Mike Rogers and El-Sayed are competing for an open Senate seat that could influence control of the chamber.
Trump urged voters to oppose El-Sayed, referring to Todd Beamer, a Michigan-born passenger who helped resist the Flight 93 hijackers. “Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol,” Trump said.
The president also claimed that El-Sayed would face additional security restrictions if elected, saying he would be the only senator required to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate.
El-Sayed rejected the accusations and criticised what he described as hypocrisy in Trump’s rhetoric. Speaking at an event in Grand Rapids on Sunday evening, he suggested the president’s objections to his name contrasted with his business connections involving Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
El-Sayed referred to reports that Affinity Partners, an investment firm founded by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, had received billions of dollars from a Saudi government-linked entity. He also mentioned Qatar’s gift of a Boeing 747 aircraft to Trump.
Trump’s remarks received loud cheers from the predominantly White audience at the Michigan rally. Some attendees shouted “traitor” and “deport,” despite El-Sayed being born in Michigan.
Terrance Camburn, a 52-year-old disabled Army veteran from Sandusky, said he supported Trump’s criticism because of El-Sayed’s political views. Camburn also referred to Dearborn, Michigan, which has one of the largest Muslim population shares among US cities.
Rogers did not respond to reporters’ questions about Trump’s invocation of 9/11 as he left the rally. Earlier, however, he told NBC’s Meet the Press that he had never described El-Sayed as a violent terrorist, stating, “I’ve never called him a terrorist.”
Rogers has accused El-Sayed of having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, an influential Islamist movement in the Arab world, but has not publicly provided evidence to support the allegation. El-Sayed has denied any affiliation with the organisation and called the accusations an attack on his loyalty to the United States.
During his television appearance, Rogers argued that El-Sayed had not adequately addressed questions surrounding the allegations. He also criticised the candidate’s political alignment and support base, describing them as radical.
Trump’s remarks came a day after former US president Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in Michigan, highlighting the state’s importance ahead of the midterm elections. Speaking at a rally in Detroit on Saturday, Obama accused El-Sayed’s opponents of trying to portray him as “less American than they are.”
Obama compared the attacks against El-Sayed to false claims previously made about his own birthplace, saying similar tactics would not succeed against the Michigan candidate.
Democrats are seeking to win enough seats in both chambers of Congress to overturn narrow Republican majorities. The outcome of competitive races such as Michigan’s Senate contest could play a significant role in determining the balance of power in Washington.
