Trump attacks Michigan Senate candidate El-Sayed with 9/11 comparison at rally
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President Donald Trump used a Michigan rally to smear Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with a comparison to the September 11 hijackers, as the closely watched race for an open Senate seat heads toward the November midterms.
President Donald Trump took the stage at a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, and urged voters to reject Abdul El-Sayed by warning that a "jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member" could become a United States senator if El-Sayed were elected. In a disturbing escalation of anti-Muslim rhetoric, 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, dismissed 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, with former Representative Mike Rogers also in contention, is widely viewed as pivotal for control of the chamber.
At the rally, some attendees shouted "traitor" and "deport," while a disabled Army veteran from Sandusky voiced support for Trump's criticism and pointed to 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 paint him as "less American." The campaign also emphasized issues including the U.S.–Canada tariff dispute affecting the auto industry, with Rogers praising Trump’s tariffs for attracting manufacturing investments while also acknowledging concerns about the automotive sector.