Trump’s attack on Michigan Senate candidate sparks outrage from Arab and Muslim leaders
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Republican leaders in Michigan are brushing aside accusations that the party has abandoned Arab and Muslim voters after President Trump branded Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist,” inflaming concerns about Islamophobic rhetoric in the race.
President Donald Trump’s recent comments branding Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist” have triggered condemnation from Arab and Muslim community leaders in Michigan, who say the language is not just inflammatory but politically dangerous. In an interview with MS NOW, community organizer Bahbah called the attacks “astounding,” “unacceptable” and “crossing red lines,” warning that they could damage Republican support among those voters in this cycle and in future elections.
Republican officials, meanwhile, dismissed accusations of Islamophobia and tried to recast the controversy as routine campaign politics. Abby Ronson, a spokesperson for Senate candidate Mike Rogers, said the campaign has reached out to “every single group” and argued that some Muslim voters see El-Sayed as “too extreme.” Ronson also said the campaign’s position is that El-Sayed has “dismissed, not disavowed” the Muslim Brotherhood, citing a recent town-hall exchange.
State Sen. Jim Runestad, chair of the Michigan Republican Party, said Rogers asked the party not to attack El-Sayed’s faith or mock his name, a request Ronson confirmed. Runestad told MS NOW that “it’s very important that the Republican Party be engaged in the Muslim community,” while acknowledging that some groups refuse to meet with Republican candidates and suggesting that the rhetoric from Trump and other high-ranking Republicans may be part of the reason.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which has labeled El-Sayed “the most radical Senate candidate in America,” has spent $1.5 million on an advertisement portraying him as “a real threat to our national security and our values.” Samantha Cantrell, regional press secretary for the NRSC, said, “Abdul El-Sayed and his family’s ties to designated terrorist groups have raised so many red flags that even the mainstream media can no longer ignore them.”
El-Sayed responded in an interview with ABC News, saying the focus on his name and religion is an attempt to “distract us from the fact that we can’t afford our gas and we can’t afford our groceries.”
Polls suggest the race remains close, and community leaders warned that a Rogers victory could “legitimize Islamophobia going forward,” while vowing to keep organizing and defending their values in the electoral arena.