US President Donald Trump intensified his attacks on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign rally in Michigan on Sunday, October 25, calling him a “jihadist” and linking him to the September 11, 2001, attacks despite no evidence that El-Sayed belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Speaking at a rally in Port Huron in support of Republican candidate Mike Rogers, Trump urged voters to prevent El-Sayed from winning a seat in the US Senate in the November 3 midterm elections.
“I’m here to keep a jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump also compared efforts to defeat El-Sayed with the actions of passengers who fought back against the hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.
“Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol,” he said, referring to passenger Todd Beamer, who died when the plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
Trump further claimed that El-Sayed would need to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate, portraying him as a security threat. He also accused the Democratic Party of allowing violent extremists into the United States and claimed El-Sayed wanted to impose Sharia law in the country.
El-Sayed Rejects Allegations of Extremist Links
El-Sayed, a Michigan-born physician and former public health official, has denied having any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood or other foreign organisations.
The Muslim Brotherhood is an Islamist movement that originated in Egypt. Trump and Rogers have repeatedly alleged that El-Sayed has links to the group, but no evidence establishing his membership has been presented in the reports cited.
Rogers, a former US representative, told NBC’s Meet the Press that he had never called El-Sayed a terrorist, while continuing to question his alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed has described the accusations as an attempt to question his loyalty to the United States because of his Muslim identity. He has also argued that the attacks distract from issues such as healthcare and the cost of living.
Some attendees at Sunday’s rally shouted “traitor” when El-Sayed was mentioned.
Barack Obama Defends El-Sayed
Former US President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in Detroit on Saturday, criticising attempts to portray El-Sayed as less American because of his background and religion.
Obama compared the attacks against El-Sayed to false claims previously made about his own birthplace.
“This stuff didn’t work on me,” Obama said. “Not in Michigan. It’s not going to work on Abdul.”
El-Sayed has also defended his faith during the campaign, saying in a recent advertisement, “Faith is a thing there’s just too little of in Washington.”
Michigan Senate Race Could Shape Control of Congress
Michigan is among the closely contested states in the November 3 midterm elections. El-Sayed is challenging Rogers for an open Senate seat, with the outcome potentially affecting control of the chamber.
Republicans currently hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, while Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them account for 47. Democrats would need a net gain of four seats to secure a majority.
If elected, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim to serve in the US Senate.
Trump’s remarks came as Republicans sought to mobilise supporters behind Rogers. The president has repeatedly made El-Sayed’s religion and alleged political associations central to his attacks on the Democratic candidate.
El-Sayed has rejected the allegations and sought to shift the campaign’s focus towards domestic policy issues affecting voters.
