Trump calls Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" at rallies
The gist
Trump called Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" and said he was "on the side of the terrorists."
The attacks target a candidate who would be the first Muslim US senator.
How it unfolded
- Oct 24, 2026Former President Barack Obama joined El-Sayed and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson at a campaign event at Cass Technical High School in Detroit.
- Oct 25, 2026At a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, Trump called El-Sayed a "jihadist" who was "on the side of the terrorists" and said he would "have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate," invoking the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
- Oct 25, 2026At the same rally, Trump said El-Sayed "wants our country to go to Sharia law" and "should be the first one that's tried"; some attendees blurted out "traitor" when El-Sayed's name was mentioned. Rogers claimed El-Sayed is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.