Trump calls Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a jihadist at rallies
The gist
US President Trump called Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a "radical jihadist" and misnamed him "Mohammed."
The race could decide Senate control in the Nov 3 midterms.
How it unfolded
- Oct 10, 2026At a rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, Trump called El-Sayed a jihadist and pointed to unspecified "statements from two years ago"; he defended calling him "Mohammed" by saying, "I'm the president. I can call him whatever the hell I want."
- Oct 11, 2026El-Sayed addressed reporters outside the Ionia Theater in Ionia, Michigan, following a campaign stop, saying Trump "knows my name is Abdul" but "he's not just attacking me. He's attacking all of us."
- Oct 13, 2026Trump began a week of red-state rallies in Youngstown, Ohio, calling Rep. Ilhan Omar a "disaster" and El-Sayed "crazy" and a "jihadist"; chants of "deport" echoed at the venue.