Trump escalates anti-Muslim attacks against El-Sayed in Michigan
President Trump has intensified his rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, labeling him a security threat and questioning his loyalty. The comments have drawn criticism from some within the Republican party and Arab American community.
Why it matters
The rhetoric highlights the role of identity politics and national security narratives in high-stakes US electoral contests.
PORT HURON, Mich. — President Donald Trump intensified his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday, portraying him as a threat to national security and questioning his loyalty to the United States in remarks that drew a sharp rebuke from a former top Arab American ally.
Elections Republicans are spending millions and still may not win districts drawn to favor them Trump called El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official, a "jihadist" who was "on the side of the terrorists" and would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate." He also repeatedly invoked the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, drawing a comparison between stopping El-Sayed from entering the Senate chamber and the passengers who fought back against the hijackers aboard United Flight 93.
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