Trump likens Abdul El-Sayed to 9/11 attackers, urges Michigan voters to reject him
At a Michigan rally, Donald Trump compared Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to 9/11 hijackers and called on voters to oppose him. El-Sayed rejected the accusations.
Key Takeaways
AIUS President Donald Trump intensified his campaign in Michigan, urging voters to reject Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed by invoking the memory of the September 11 attacks.
During a rally in Port Huron on Sunday, Trump said, "I'm here to stop a jihadist, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, from becoming a US senator," likening El-Sayed to the 9/11 hijackers, especially those who seized United Flight 93.
Trump claimed that electing El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim to win a US Senate seat if successful, would pose a threat, alleging that Democrats would allow "violent, anti-American terrorists" into the country.
He added, "After 25 years, Michigan needs to rise up and fight, just as Todd Beamer did, to stop a jihadist from entering the Capitol," and said El-Sayed would be the only senator required to pass through a metal detector before entering the chamber.
Abdul El-Sayed rejected these accusations, and at an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sunday evening, called Trump's repeated focus on his name hypocritical.
He said, "I understand that the President of the United States considers my first name a personal insult... but he doesn't seem to mind when the name is shared by Saudis who fund his son-in-law's private investment firm, or when Qataris give him a $400 million private jet."
Trump's rally drew cheers from a mostly white crowd, with some chanting "traitor" and others "deport," despite El-Sayed being Michigan-born.
Former Republican congressman Mike Rogers, who is running against El-Sayed for the open seat, did not comment on Trump's references to 9/11, but told NBC he disagreed with labeling El-Sayed a violent terrorist, adding, "I have never called him a terrorist."
Rogers had previously, without evidence, alleged that El-Sayed had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim El-Sayed denied, calling it "shameful" to question his loyalty to the United States.
The upcoming midterm elections on November 3 feature a competitive Senate race in Michigan, which could affect the balance of power in the chamber.