Donald Trump targets Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in rally speech

President Donald Trump targeted Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with anti-Muslim rhetoric during a campaign event in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday. The appearance was aimed at boosting former Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee in an extremely competitive race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Speaking before attendees, Trump referred to El-Sayed as a "jihadist" and alleged ties between the Democrat and the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group founded in Egypt nearly a century ago. The president claimed that El-Sayed should be subject to extra security measures, telling the crowd that the candidate would need to pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate chamber.

Trump also drew a direct parallel between the 2001 terrorist attacks and the Michigan contest while introducing guest speaker David Beamer. Beamer is the father of Todd Beamer, who died aboard hijacked United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. Trump argued that voters in Michigan need to take action to prevent someone he labeled a jihadist from taking office in Washington.

Addressing the audience, Beamer continued the comparison, characterizing the political contest as an internal threat rather than a foreign assault. While acknowledging that El-Sayed holds an American birth certificate, Beamer asserted that citizenship documents do not make someone truly American and labeled the Democratic nominee anti-American. Both El-Sayed and Rogers were born in Michigan.

El-Sayed has repeatedly rejected any association with the Muslim Brotherhood and has condemned the organization. During a recent campaign town hall, he pushed back forcefully when questioned on the matter, arguing that critics wrongly assume his religious identity compromises his loyalty to the U.S. Constitution.

Rogers was asked on Sunday about Trump’s characterizations of his rival during an appearance on NBC’s "Meet the Press." Rogers declined to endorse the label, stating that he has never called El-Sayed a terrorist and emphasizing that voters face a choice between the two candidates directly. Rogers has previously drawn attention to past employment held by El-Sayed’s mother at a charitable entity that federal officials later shut down over alleged links to extremist organizations, though she was never accused of any misconduct.

Trump’s appearance in Port Huron came one day after former President Barack Obama traveled to Detroit to support El-Sayed and fellow Michigan Democrats. During his speech, Trump referenced Obama’s rally, claiming that the former president had drawn a smaller turnout.