Key takeaways:
- Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties without offering evidence.
- Rogers said he has never called El-Sayed a terrorist, although he made other allegations about the Democrat at the rally.
- Trump defended the war against Iran; Al Jazeera reported Michigan gasoline averaged $4.83 a gallon Sunday.
President Donald Trump called Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist” at a Sunday rally in Port Huron, Michigan, using his Muslim faith as a focus of an appeal for Republican nominee Mike Rogers ahead of the November 3 midterm election. Trump offered no evidence for his allegations of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
“I’m here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator,” Trump told supporters. He contrasted El-Sayed with Rogers, whom he called “apple pie,” and said El-Sayed “would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate.”
Trump also claimed El-Sayed wanted to impose Islamic law in the United States. “If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadists to our shores,” he said, adding that the resulting violence would mean people could not “even have a Christmas.” El-Sayed has denied ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and denounced the group.
The race for the seat held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters is a close one. Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, with 35 seats up for election in 2026. According to Al Jazeera, a Rogers victory would flip the Michigan seat and leave Democrats needing to flip five other seats to regain control of the chamber.
Trump invoked the September 11, 2001, attacks while introducing David Beamer, whose son Todd died aboard hijacked United Flight 93. “Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight just like Todd did to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol,” Trump said.
Beamer, who has appeared in Rogers campaign ads, called El-Sayed “anti-American” and said a birth certificate did not make him an American. “We cannot, cannot allow this man to invade and occupy our country,” he said. Both El-Sayed and Rogers were born in Michigan. El-Sayed’s campaign did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment on the remarks.
Asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether he agreed with Trump’s description of El-Sayed as a terrorist, Rogers said, “I’ve never called him a terrorist.” At the rally, Rogers alleged that El-Sayed was affiliated with the Democratic Socialists for America and was taking money from organizations that support the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Hezbollah. Al Jazeera reported that El-Sayed is not a member of the socialist group.
Trump also defended the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, saying, “I made that decision, and I have no second guess.” According to Al Jazeera, gasoline averaged $4.83 a gallon in Michigan on Sunday, up from $2.91 before the war began in February. Trump said U.S. oil companies were making hundreds of billions of dollars amid increased demand. “We’re making a freaking fortune,” he said.
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