Trump targets Michigan Senate candidate El-Sayed with anti-Muslim slurs
Why it matters: The attack hits a race that could help decide Senate control and drew backlash from an Arab American Trump ally.
President Donald Trump stepped up anti-Muslim attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a rally in Port Huron on Sunday, calling him a “jihadist,” questioning his loyalty and suggesting he should pass through a metal detector before entering the Senate. El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official seeking to become the nation’s first Muslim senator, rejected any link to extremist groups and called attacks on his loyalty shameful. The remarks also drew a rebuke from Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, who called them racist and said they crossed a red line. The clash lands in a closely watched Michigan contest against Republican Mike Rogers as Republicans campaign on inflation, fuel prices and the Iran war.