Trump’s Anti-muslim Attacks Unite Democrats Behind El-sayed

WHO:

The Guardian - Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee in Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Senate race. Born in Michigan to Egyptian immigrants, he previously worked as a Detroit and Wayne County health official.

The Guardian - The Republican nominee is Mike Rogers. President Trump and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have attacked El-Sayed; the committee aired ads using his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed.

CNN - Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno told a Trump rally that El-Sayed “should be nowhere near Washington, DC,” and asked whether El-Sayed understood that “our rights come from God almighty, that Jesus came here for our salvation.”

The Guardian - Democratic figures who have backed El-Sayed include Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Kamala Harris, and Senator Elissa Slotkin. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez each transferred $1 million to his campaign.

The Guardian - Senator Cory Booker discussed winning back the Senate without naming El-Sayed. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer endorsed him while saying their views on Israel were “much different”; Haley Stevens, whom El-Sayed defeated in the primary, said she was “on the team.”

CNN - Brown University professor Corey Brettschneider said rhetoric suggesting Muslims cannot be trusted or that El-Sayed needs a special metal detector amounts to “a religious test for office.”

WHAT:

The Guardian - Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist” and “Muslim Brotherhood member,” repeatedly called him “Mohammed,” and invoked September 11. El-Sayed said Trump used his name and faith to distract voters from gas, grocery, and healthcare costs.

CNN - Trump also said metal detectors would be needed at the Senate if El-Sayed won, and called him “Abdul Ramadan.” Mike Rogers questioned El-Sayed’s loyalties and asked, “Are you for America, or are you for these terrorist groups overseas?” El-Sayed has disavowed the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Guardian - El-Sayed’s platform includes Medicare for All, removing corporate money from politics, taxing billionaires and corporations, abolishing ICE, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. He has called Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide.

CNN - El-Sayed said the Constitution was his “guiding light” and rejected the assumption that his Muslim faith implied allegiance to something outside the Constitution.

WHERE:

The Guardian - Campaign events and rallies took place in Port Huron, Grand Rapids, and Detroit, Michigan.

CNN - Moreno made his remarks at a Trump rally in Ohio.

WHEN:

The Guardian - The Democratic primary took place in August; El-Sayed narrowly defeated Stevens, a moderate pro-Israel candidate.

CNN - The article described Michigan’s Senate election as upcoming and said voters would decide whether El-Sayed won a Senate seat and whether Democrats controlled the chamber.

WHY:

CNN - The race could determine control of the Senate. CNN said the attacks sought to portray El-Sayed as un-American and unacceptable for public office.

The Guardian - Democrats’ support for El-Sayed grew amid Republican attacks, though some party figures remained publicly cautious about disagreements over Israel and other issues.

HOW:

The Guardian - A Marist poll reported El-Sayed at 50% and Rogers at 48% among likely voters; the article said he had trailed nearly two-to-one in ad spending as of early October.

CNN - A CNN/SSRS poll reported El-Sayed leading Rogers 49% to 42% among likely voters.

The Guardian - AIPAC spent close to $30 million backing Stevens in the primary, its largest investment in a single race.

(UPDATED October 30, 2026 22:59 UTC)

Abdul El-Sayed is Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee, facing Republican Mike Rogers in a pivotal race. President Trump and Rogers have questioned El-Sayed’s loyalties. Polls show El-Sayed leading, with prominent Democrats backing him despite disagreements over Israel.