Abdul El Sayed said he was pushing back after President Donald Trump used a Michigan rally to repeat anti‑Muslim attacks linking the Democratic Senate candidate to extremists and invoking 9/11.
At a Port Huron rally on Oct. 25, Trump told supporters he wanted to “keep a jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator,” and compared El Sayed to the Flight 93 attackers, according to Reuters coverage of the event.
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El Sayed dismissed the accusations at a Detroit news conference and at a Grand Rapids event, calling the attacks “deflections and deceptions based on no evidence,” and said Republicans were trying to distract voters from issues such as petrol prices and the war in Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
The Michigan race between El Sayed and former Rep. Mike Rogers is seen as competitive and could help decide control of the Senate, Reuters said, noting El Sayed would be the first Muslim elected to the chamber if he wins.
El Sayed has repeatedly denied ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups, and his campaign has pushed back after repeated allegations from opponents, a subject previously reported in this outlet, including a story on his public denial of Muslim Brotherhood ties at a Michigan rally.
His campaign also trained for debates and public appearances as the race tightened — El Sayed sparred with Mike Rogers in a Michigan Senate debate earlier this month, according to prior coverage.
Political analysts and party officials warned the rhetoric could energize both supporters and opponents in the final week before the Nov. 3 election, where turnout and local issues are expected to matter.
Sources
- Reuters — live reporting from the Port Huron rally that quoted Trump’s comments invoking 9/11 and described reactions at the event.
- Al Jazeera — coverage of El Sayed’s statements in Detroit and Grand Rapids calling the attacks “deflections” and rebutting claims about his faith.
