US President Donald Trump called Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" at a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, and suggested Christmas would be cancelled if he won, Al Jazeera reported.
The attacks came about a week before the November 3 midterm elections. El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers are contesting Michigan's open Senate seat, one of only about seven toss-up Senate races, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera described the allegations as unfounded. El-Sayed is a US-born citizen, a doctor and a former public health official who has pledged to uphold the Constitution. The outlet reported there is no evidence he was ever a member of the Muslim Brotherhood or any foreign organization.
What Trump said about Abdul El-Sayed's religion
Trump spoke for nearly two hours to hundreds of supporters, and his remarks largely focused on the Michigan Senate contest, Al Jazeera reported. He returned repeatedly to El-Sayed's Muslim faith throughout the speech.
"He would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate," Trump said of El-Sayed.
According to Al Jazeera, Trump falsely accused El-Sayed of wanting to impose Islamic law in the United States. "So Abdul… also wants our country to go to Sharia law, and if he ever pulls that off, he should be the first one that's tried. I'll be a witness," Trump said.
He also described the purpose of his visit in direct terms. "I'm here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator," Trump said.
Trump linked the race to immigration. "If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadists to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas," he said.
Some attendees shouted "traitor" several times when El-Sayed's name was mentioned, Al Jazeera reported. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly targeted El-Sayed's Muslim identity, including by misrepresenting his name as "Mohammed," the outlet said.
Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers: who is running in Michigan
El-Sayed, described by Al Jazeera as a progressive doctor, is the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat held by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Al Jazeera did not say which medical field he practices in. His opponent is Rogers, a former congressman.
El-Sayed has largely dismissed the anti-Muslim rhetoric against him as "distractions," according to Al Jazeera. He has said he is focused on lowering the cost of living and expanding access to healthcare. Al Jazeera did not report a direct response from El-Sayed to Sunday's rally.
Rogers attended the rally and appeared on stage with Trump. Earlier in the event, Al Jazeera reported, Rogers also claimed El-Sayed is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the outlet described as a political movement in Egypt that the United States designated a "terrorist" group this year.
Rogers has broken with the president on some issues. Al Jazeera reported that he has called for an end to the Iran war, expressed reservations about Trump's tariff campaign and urged an end to the trade war with Canada, which borders Michigan.
Why the Michigan Senate race 2026 could decide control of the chamber
Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the 100-member Senate, and 35 seats are up for election this year, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet described the Michigan race as crucial for Republicans to keep control.
If Rogers wins, he would flip a Democratic-held seat. Democrats would then need to flip five other seats to regain the chamber, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera's report did not include head-to-head polling between El-Sayed and Rogers.
Polling on the president himself points to a difficult backdrop for Republicans in the state. A survey by the research firm Marketing Resource Group earlier this month suggested that only 35 percent of Michigan voters view Trump positively, Al Jazeera reported.
Al Jazeera reported that Trump's popularity has been slipping, in part because of the US-Israel war on Iran. As his approval ratings fall, some Republican candidates in tight races have kept their distance from him, the outlet said.
Trump's record on Muslim immigration
Sunday's rhetoric follows a longer pattern, according to Al Jazeera. In 2015, near the start of his first campaign, Trump said he would support "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."
Less than two years later, as president, he signed a short-lived executive order barring travel from multiple Muslim-majority countries. The order became known as the "Muslim ban."
For Michigan voters, the key dates and figures in the race are:
- Election day: November 3
- Seat: open, held by retiring Democrat Gary Peters
- Candidates: Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers
- Senate balance: Republicans hold 53 of 100 seats; 35 seats are on the ballot
Voters in Michigan will choose between El-Sayed and Rogers on November 3. Whether that result settles control of the Senate depends on the other toss-up contests on the ballot.