President Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, asserting that the Muslim politician would struggle to board an airplane because of what Trump described as a national security threat.
The remarks drew a sarcastic response from El-Sayed as the midterm campaign entered its final week. The closely watched race could help determine the balance of power in both chambers of Congress.
At a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and repeatedly referred to him as “Mohammed” while trying to energize Republican voters in one of the nation’s most competitive Senate contests.
El-Sayed, 41, responded within hours, turning the president’s insults into a joke about the title he expected to hold after the election.
“I don’t even care that he remembers my whole name because he can just go on and call me senator after November,” El-Sayed told cheering supporters at a rival rally in Grand Rapids.
“I’ll be Sen. Mohammed to you, bro.”
The confrontation unfolded as Trump conducted an intense final campaign tour across the country, seeking to drive Republican turnout ahead of the November 3 elections.
In Michigan, Republican Mike Rogers is running against El-Sayed for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Gary Peters. Trump focused much of his appearance on attacking his party’s Democratic opponent.
President Donald Trump claimed Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed would be “screened and unable to get a seat on an airplane” while calling him a “jihadist”
Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed answered Trump’s attacks on his Muslim faith and name by telling supporters, “I don’t even care that he remembers my whole name because he can just go on and call me senator after November.”
“I’m here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator, and that’s the fact. Not going to let that happen,” Trump said.
He claimed El-Sayed wanted the United States to adopt Sharia law and argued that someone with what he described as El-Sayed’s record “would be screened and unable to get a seat on an airplane.”
Trump further suggested that El-Sayed would need to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate, while linking his remarks to the September 11 terrorist attacks.
There is no evidence that El-Sayed belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood. The Democratic candidate has repeatedly denied ties to extremist groups and has publicly condemned the Muslim Brotherhood.
The exchange intensified a campaign that has already centered on disputes over El-Sayed’s religion, loyalty and family history.
Republicans have pointed to past comments from El-Sayed’s half-sister regarding the family’s alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed says those claims are intended to divert attention from voters’ concerns about healthcare and the rising cost of living.
The Democratic candidate also took aim at Trump’s interest in commenting on politicians’ physical appearances.
After Trump praised rapper Nicki Minaj’s backside during the Michigan rally, El-Sayed joked about how he would respond if he encountered the president in Washington.
Rapper Nicki Minaj joined Donald Trump onstage at his Michigan rally to urge Republican voters to turn out after the president attracted attention by publicly praising her backside
President Donald Trump looks toward an image of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed displayed on a screen during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan
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‘When I get to DC, man, I’m just gonna make sure that I never let him see mine. Keep it here, Donald. Right here,’ he said, pointing toward his eyes.
Trump’s comments about El-Sayed also provoked fury from an unlikely quarter: Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, which helped the president win support from Arab American voters in 2024.
‘The president’s statements are out of line,’ Bahbah said. ‘They are crossing a red line. They are racist. The president of the United States saying that about a person because of his religion, that is just not acceptable.’
The controversy overshadowed what was supposed to be a major show of Republican unity in Michigan, where Trump appeared alongside Rogers and received a celebrity endorsement from Minaj.
It also came just 24 hours after former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in the state, setting up a high-stakes confrontation between the two.
Trump’s relentless campaign schedule underscores the pressure facing Republicans as they attempt to defend their congressional majorities amid voter frustration over inflation, fuel prices and the war with Iran.
After campaigning in Georgia on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday, Trump is scheduled to head to Mississippi later on Monday to support Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who faces an unexpectedly competitive challenge from Democrat Scott Colom.
President Donald Trump dances as he departs after speaking during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan. He is heading to Mississippi on Monday followed by Texas on Tuesday
El-Sayed has repeatedly denied links to extremist groups, accusing Republicans of using his Muslim faith to distract voters from pressing concerns over rising prices and healthcare costs
El-Sayed appeared at a midterm campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
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The president will then make two appearances in Texas on Tuesday, followed by rallies in Ohio on Wednesday, Florida on Friday and Iowa later in the campaign’s closing stretch.
His decision to devote considerable time to traditionally Republican states highlights the party’s determination to turn out supporters in areas once considered relatively safe.
Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to treat the midterms as a referendum on his presidency.
‘When I’m not on the ballot, people don’t show up,’ he complained in Michigan. ‘Please show up and vote.’
The president also revived his allegations about election integrity, suggesting without evidence that Michigan vote counters could manipulate the results.
‘We got to be careful with the cheating vote counters, though,’ Trump told supporters, singling out Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor.
‘Please, will you please watch it, fellas? Especially with Benson, you got to watch it.’
Trump also falsely claimed that he had won Michigan in three presidential elections.