Trump targets El-Sayed with Islamophobic attacks

US President Donald Trump escalated his anti-Muslim rhetoric against Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed during a rally in that state, falsely suggesting that a native son’s campaign is a threat to national security ahead of the Nov. 3 mid-term elections.

Speaking in Port Huron on Sunday, Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and alleged he had links to the Muslim Brotherhood, without providing evidence of any affiliation. Trump also suggested El-Sayed should undergo security screening before entering the Senate if elected, according to The Associated Press.

“I’m here to stop a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood candidate from becoming a senator of the United States,” Trump stated, according to Al Jazeera.

El-Sayed, on track to becoming the first Muslim elected to the Senate, has been the target of anti-Muslim rhetoric casting doubt on his patriotism.

These comments provoked reaction from Bishara Bahbah, an Arab-American onetime supporter of Trump, who assisted in the 2024 voter drive.

“This is a line crossed by the president,” Bahbah told the AP. “This is a red line crossed. They are racist.”

The clash comes as El-Sayed, Republican Mike Rogers, in a competitive Senate race in which results could determine control of the chamber. El-Sayed’s campaign has been pushing an increasingly ideological message, attacking his Muslim faith and purported political connections in addition to raising economic fears about inflation, gas prices and health care.