‘Deflections’: Abdul El-Sayed responds to Trump’s anti-Muslim attacks

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkMichigan Democrat senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a midterm campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on October 25, 2026 [Jeff Kowalsky/AFP]By Ali HarbPublished On 26 Oct 202626 Oct 2026Detroit, Michigan – Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has dismissed United States President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim attacks against him, saying that they are an attempt to move the attention away from the president’s own record.At a news conference in Detroit on Monday, El-Sayed said Trump is trying to distract from issues that matter to Americans – including petrol prices and the war on Iran – by accusing the Democratic candidate of being a “jihadist”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Obama joins El-Sayed in Michigan rally cry before key midtermslist 2 of 3Trump dials up Islamophobia against Abdul El-Sayed at Michigan Senate rallylist 3 of 3US foreign aid to Israel highlighted in campaign ad in support of El-Sayedend of listEl-Sayed called the attacks “deflections and deceptions based on no evidence”.“They have nothing to say about solving the problems in your life. They’re not talking about you,” the Democratic candidate said of Republicans.“They’re not talking about your gas or your groceries … They’re not talking about clean air or clean water. They’re not talking about any of the things that the government is actually supposed to solve. Why? Because Donald Trump has created those problems.”At a rally in Michigan on Sunday, Trump unleashed repeated baseless claims against El-Sayed, accusing the Democrat of wanting to impose “Sharia law” on the country.“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. “I want him to have a metal detector.”El-Sayed laughed off the suggestion that he may personally be a physical threat to Congress. “He knows I got those Wolverine claws,” he said, a reference to the sports teams of his alma mater, the University of Michigan.The progressive Democrat and former public health official is locked in a close race with former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers, a contest that could decide the Senate majority for the next two years.Rogers has made unfounded allegations linking El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Hezbollah a central point of his campaign.On Monday, El-Sayed said most Americans reject such attacks.“There are always a few small people who want to make America small like that. You see them; they’re very loud, and they bark,” El-Sayed said.“The vast majority of folks in this state believe in a big America. They’re open-minded. They’re big-hearted. And the story of America is those who believe in big America, overcoming the deception, the distraction, the sad attempts of the small-minded to make us small.”He added that “Michiganders are a lot bigger than that”.El-Sayed also addressed Trump’s statements mocking his name and misrepresenting it as “Mohamed”.“My name and my faith are not the reason you can’t afford your gas – not the reason you can’t afford your groceries, not the reason you can’t pay your rent, your mortgage, not the reason you can’t see a doctor,” he said.