Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed turned President Donald Trump’s attacks on his Muslim identity back on the president during a Sunday rally, by highlighting Trump and his family’s willingness to engage in lucrative deals with Muslims.
Speaking in Grand Rapids, Michigan, El-Sayed hinted at hypocrisy by contrasting the president's treatment of his name with Saudi investment in Jared Kushner’s private-equity firm and Qatar’s provision of a jet.
His comments came as he sought to consolidate support in a crucial Senate race against Republican Mike Rogers. Michigan is a closely divided battleground that Trump carried by 1.4 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump has repeatedly called El-Sayed a "jihadist," without producing evidence. The president has also referred to El-Sayed as "Muhammad" instead of Abdul, and claimed the Democrat is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed has denied ties to the Islamist group.
"I get that the President takes personal offense to my first name. He doesn't mind as much when it's the Saudis who are funding his son-in-law's private equity. Doesn't seem to mind as much when it's the Qataris who are giving them a $400 million private jet. He just seems to have trouble pronouncing it when it's my name," El-Sayed said.
"I don't care how he pronounces my name. I don't even care that he remembers my whole name. Because he can just go on and call me senator after November."
Newsweek reached out to the White House and El-Sayed’s campaign for comment via email on Monday.
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The aircraft in question was a Boeing 747-8 provided by Qatar for use as a presidential plane, an arrangement that drew scrutiny from some lawmakers. The U.S. and Qatari administrations said the aircraft was given to the U.S. government rather than to Trump personally. The New York Times has reported that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner's investment fund Affinity Partners received billions in investment from a Saudi government-owned entity.
El-Sayed also appeared to contrast what he characterized as Michigan’s work ethic with his view of Trump.
"Michiganders, we’re this rare combination of being earnest and gritty. We expect the best and we give the best. We’re willing to work hard, we just don’t want to be taken advantage of—certainly not by a carnival barker from New York who’s never actually accomplished anything in the first place," El-Sayed said.
Trump, meanwhile, repeated his unsubstantiated attacks on El-Sayed at a separate rally in Port Huron on Sunday as he sought to bolster Republican campaigns. "I'm here to keep a jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator," Trump said.
Trump went on to invoke the September 11, 2001, attacks, comparing opposition to El-Sayed with the actions of Michigan native Todd Beamer and other passengers who resisted the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93, according to the outlet. The president also said El-Sayed would have to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate.
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Michigan Senate Race: Latest Polls
Recent polling indicates El-Sayed has a narrow advantage over Rogers in a tight contest to replace Democratic incumbent Gary Peters, who did not seek reelection.
An InsiderAdvantage survey of 1,200 likely voters, conducted from October 21 to 22, put El-Sayed ahead 47 percent to 46 percent. The poll had a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
A Marist poll conducted from October 15 to 18 found El-Sayed leading 50 percent to 48 percent among 1,185 likely voters, with a 4.3-point margin of error.
Quantus Insights, meanwhile, found El-Sayed ahead 48 percent to 47 percent in a survey of 762 likely voters conducted from October 5 to 6. The poll had a 3.9-point margin of error.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Matthew Robinson and Trevor Davies