Trump Escalates Anti-muslim Attacks on Michigan Senate Candidate El-sayed
WHO:
CBS News Politics - President Trump spoke at a Michigan rally for Republican candidates; the article identifies Abdul El-Sayed as the Senate candidate Trump attacked over his faith.
Al Jazeera - Trump targeted Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a US-born citizen and former public health official, and Republican candidate Mike Rogers. El-Sayed has pledged to uphold the Constitution.
Al Jazeera - The race is for the Senate seat held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Rogers is seeking to flip it for Republicans.
Al Jazeera - Ohio Republican incumbent Jon Husted and rapper Nicki Minaj were also mentioned by Trump; Minaj was in attendance.
Al Jazeera - Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and a “jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member.” There is no evidence El-Sayed was ever a Muslim Brotherhood member or belonged to a foreign organization.
WHAT:
CBS News Politics - Trump attacked El-Sayed over his faith and called him “jihadist.”
Al Jazeera - Trump falsely accused El-Sayed of wanting to impose Islamic law and said Christmas could become impossible if Democrats won. He also said El-Sayed would need to pass through a metal detector to enter the Senate.
Al Jazeera - Trump said, “I made that decision, and I have no second guess,” defending the Iran war. He said the United States had to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon; Iran denies seeking one.
Al Jazeera - Trump said US oil companies were making “hundreds of billions of dollars” amid the war-related energy-market disruption, adding, “We’re making a freaking fortune.”
Al Jazeera - Republicans hold a 53-seat Senate majority; 35 Senate positions are up for election in 2026. If Rogers wins Peters’s seat, Democrats would need to flip five other seats to regain control.
Al Jazeera - A Marketing Resource Group survey found 35 percent of Michigan voters viewed Trump positively.
Al Jazeera - Trump discussed Husted’s and Minaj’s appearances, prompting cheers from the crowd.
WHERE:
CBS News Politics - The rally was in Port Huron, Michigan.
Al Jazeera - Trump spoke at a hockey arena in Port Huron; supporters lined up for several blocks.
WHY:
CBS News Politics - Trump’s rally was held to make the case for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
Al Jazeera - The Michigan Senate contest was described as one of about seven toss-up Senate races and crucial to Republicans retaining control of the chamber.
Al Jazeera - El-Sayed has said he focuses on lowering living costs and expanding healthcare access, calling anti-Muslim rhetoric a “distraction.”
HOW:
Al Jazeera - Trump spoke for nearly two hours to hundreds of supporters; attendees shouted insults at El-Sayed, while the crowd remained engaged and seated.
Al Jazeera - Rogers attended and spoke alongside Trump, and accused El-Sayed of links to the Muslim Brotherhood and of taking money from organizations supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah, without providing evidence.
Al Jazeera - Michigan gasoline averaged $4.83 per gallon, compared with $2.91 before the Iran war. The article says Tehran restricted passage through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the war, tightening energy supplies.
Al Jazeera - Trump initially said the Iran conflict would last four to six weeks; the article says it had continued nearly eight months after the United States and Israel launched it. Trump had previously said US strikes on Iran’s uranium-enrichment facilities in June 2025 had “obliterated” its nuclear program.
(UPDATED October 26, 2026 10:11 UTC)
President Trump used a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, to attack Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, calling him a “jihadist” and falsely accusing him of seeking to impose Islamic law. There is no evidence El-Sayed belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood or a foreign organization. Republican Mike Rogers, who is running for the seat held by retiring Senator Gary Peters, also accused El-Sayed of ties to the group without providing evidence. The closely watched race could help determine control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-seat majority. Trump also defended the Iran war, saying the United States had to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon; Iran denies seeking one. He praised oil companies’ profits as energy supplies tightened, while Michigan gasoline averaged $4.83 a gallon. Rapper Nicki Minaj attended the rally, and Trump also mentioned Ohio Senator Jon Husted.