Trump warns Michigan crowd about El-Sayed as Senate race tightens
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President Donald Trump told Michigan voters to reject Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, arguing that his record and affiliations raise serious alarms as the battle for an open Senate seat intensifies before November.
President Donald Trump addressed a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, and warned voters that a "jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member" could become a United States senator if Abdul El-Sayed were elected. The president drew a direct line between El-Sayed and 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 allegations 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 being closely watched and is seen as crucial to control of the chamber.
At the rally, some attendees shouted "traitor" and "deport," while a disabled Army veteran from Sandusky backed Trump's criticism and cited 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.