Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed responds to Trump’s social-media comparison
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Abdul El-Sayed criticized President Donald Trump’s post contrasting their families, reiterating his policy-focused campaign while rejecting the president’s attacks.
President Donald Trump posted an image on social media that placed himself and First Lady Melania beside Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his wife, Dr. Sarah Jukaku, with the caption “Two VERY DIFFERENT America’s.”
El-Sayed addressed the post in an interview with CNN, saying the president’s depiction highlighted “two different visions of America.” He contrasted what he described as a vision driven by “overlords… making billions of dollars off of you” with a vision of families “raising a family and knowing they will have the good things.”
“Donald Trump’s vision is the one you’re living in right now. Can you afford your gas? Can you afford your groceries?”
El-Sayed, a former public-health official, has faced repeated criticism from Trump since winning the Democratic primary. The president has previously labeled El-Sayed a “communist” and accused him of hating Israel and Jewish people, claims the candidate denied, emphasizing his progressive platform that includes Medicare for all and campaign-finance reform.
In a victory speech after his primary win, El-Sayed thanked supporters of all faiths and pledged to protect the safety of Jewish communities and his own family. Republican Rep. Nancy Mace also criticized El-Sayed, suggesting his views could lead to radical changes in American schools.
The White House has not commented on the exchange.