Trump attacks Democratic Senate candidate El-Sayed using 9/11 rhetoric, drawing Islamophobia accusations
At a Michigan rally, President Trump accused Abdul El-Sayed of being a jihadist and invoked 9/11, prompting criticism including from a Trump supporter.
What happened
At a Sunday rally in Michigan, President Trump verbally attacked Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a jihadist and suggesting he would need to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate. Trump introduced Todd Beamer's father as a guest speaker and urged Michigan to "fight" to stop "a jihadist from walking into the Capitol." Trump also made various allegations against El-Sayed and his family, including claims of Muslim Brotherhood membership, and warned that an El-Sayed victory would "open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadis to our shores." El-Sayed, a former public health official born in the US to Egyptian parents, responded at his own rally by stating he would be "Senator Mohamed" and redirected focus to economic issues. The race against Republican Mike Rogers on November 3 is expected to be close and could influence the balance of power in Congress.
Context
El-Sayed would become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate if victorious. The Michigan Senate seat, currently held by Democrats, is one of a handful races that could determine congressional control. Critics, including Arab Americans for Trump founder Bishara Bahbah, characterized Trump's attacks as Islamophobic and crossing ethical lines. El-Sayed's opponents have sought to link him to the Muslim Brotherhood through references to family members' social media posts and his own writings from over a decade ago, which El-Sayed has denied and distanced himself from. The seat represents a particularly bitter contest in what sources identify as a close midterm race.
What's disputed
Whether El-Sayed has meaningful connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. Trump's campaign makes allegations based on El-Sayed's family members' social media posts from 2012 and his own opinion pieces from 2011. El-Sayed has denied any connection and stated he would disavow the organization when asked. Notably, Trump's current opponent Rogers, when heading the House Intelligence Committee in 2012, stated the US might need to engage with moderate Muslim Brotherhood individuals.