Trump likens Michigan Senate candidate El-Sayed to 9/11 attackers at rally
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President Donald Trump urged Michigan voters to reject Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, comparing him to the September 11 hijackers, as the race tightens ahead of the November midterms.
President Donald Trump addressed a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, warning voters that a "jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member" could become a United States senator if Abdul El-Sayed were elected. The president linked El-Sayed to the attackers of United Flight 93, saying Michigan must "stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol."
El-Sayed, a Democrat who would be the first Muslim senator if elected, rejected the accusations and, in a campaign advertisement, said, "Faith is a thing there's just too little of in Washington." The race for the open Senate seat, contested by former Representative Mike Rogers, is seen as pivotal for control of the chamber.
At the rally, some attendees shouted "traitor" and "deport" while a disabled Army veteran from Sandusky expressed support for Trump's criticism, citing El-Sayed's political views. Rogers, who did not respond to Reuters' questions about the 9/11 reference, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he has never called El-Sayed a terrorist and questioned the claim that the candidate has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in Michigan the day before, condemning the attacks on El-Sayed as an effort to portray him as "less American." The campaign also highlighted issues such as the U.S.–Canada tariff dispute affecting the auto industry, with Rogers praising Trump’s tariffs for attracting manufacturing investments while noting concerns about the automotive sector.