President Trump labels Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" and questions his loyalty
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At a rally in Port Huron, President Donald Trump called Democratic Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" and suggested he pose a security threat, prompting condemnation from an Arab-American group.
President Donald Trump intensified attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a rally in Port Huron, describing the former Detroit health official as a "jihadist" who was "on the side of the terrorists" and saying he would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate." Trump also invoked the September 11 attacks, likening the effort to stop El-Sayed from entering the chamber to the passengers who resisted hijackers on United Flight 93.
El-Sayed, who would become the first Muslim senator if elected, denied any extremist ties and called the accusations "shameful." A spokesperson for his campaign said the remarks were "desperate, bad-faith attacks" and emphasized El-Sayed's focus on lowering costs and addressing corruption in Washington.
Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump (now Arab Americans for Peace), said the president's statements crossed a red line and were unacceptable to Arab and Muslim communities. "The president of the United States saying that about a person because of his religion is just not acceptable," Bahbah added.
Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who is also contesting the seat, has repeatedly questioned El-Sayed's loyalty, asking whether he is "for America, or for these terrorist groups overseas?" El-Sayed responded that such questioning was "shameful" and affirmed his pride in the Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom.
Trump's remarks came as he sought to boost turnout by portraying Democratic opponents as existential threats, a strategy that has featured repeated references to the Muslim Brotherhood despite no evidence linking El-Sayed to the group. The rally also featured a performance by rapper Nicki Minaj, after which Trump made a comment about her appearance that drew additional media attention.