Trump Calls El-Sayed 'Jihadist, Muslim Brotherhood Guy'
President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack Sunday against Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, accusing him of being a “jihadist” with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood while applauding Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens for crossing party lines to endorse Republican Mike Rogers in Tuesday’s closely contested Senate race.
Speaking with reporters on the airport tarmac in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump praised Stevens for publicly backing Rogers, describing her decision as an act of political courage that could potentially expose her to threats.
“They’re jihadists. He’s jihadist. He’s a Muslim Brotherhood guy,” Trump said of El-Sayed.
“Yeah, I’d say she’s in danger. She was very brave doing it. And she did it for the people of Michigan. I have great respect for her,” the president added.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who accompanied Trump during the exchange, said he had personally contacted Stevens following her announcement to express his appreciation for her decision to support the Republican nominee.
“I … told her how courageous she was and how much we appreciate what she did,” Johnson said. “She’s standing for truth; Haley’s a good person. This is her state; she served it as best she could.”
Johnson portrayed the election as a contest between two fundamentally different political approaches, arguing that the outcome would have significant consequences beyond Michigan.
“It’s a contrast election between common sense and crazy,” the speaker said.
“Haley did a heroic and important thing for the country. I told her to stay safe.”
Trump went further, warning that an El-Sayed victory could strengthen what he described as Muslim Brotherhood influence within the Democratic Party. He argued that even a handful of senators could exert considerable leverage over party leadership when their votes are needed to secure a majority.
“We have to get the Senate. We can’t allow the Muslim Brotherhood — don’t forget, when they have one or two or three votes, they basically assume control of the party,” Trump said.
“The party has to go along with them. They can blackmail the party and extort the party.”
The comments came during the final stretch of campaigning before Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Republicans seeking to preserve their Senate majority and Michigan emerging as one of the races attracting intense national attention.
Stevens’ decision to support Rogers represented an unusual public rejection of her own party’s nominee. Her endorsement provided the Republican candidate with a prominent Democratic supporter just days before voters were scheduled to head to the polls.
El-Sayed, who previously served as a public health official in Detroit, is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Senator Gary Peters.
Trump has made allegations about El-Sayed’s supposed connections to the Muslim Brotherhood a recurring theme of his campaign appearances. During an October 25 rally in Port Huron, Michigan, the president warned that electing El-Sayed could allow him access to classified national security information.
El-Sayed has rejected the accusations and denied having any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Stevens, who narrowly lost the Democratic Senate primary to El-Sayed in August, had previously promised to support him in the general election. Her reversal followed additional disagreements over El-Sayed’s association with controversial political commentator Hasan Piker and came after Stevens was excluded from a planned joint campaign appearance.
The congresswoman appeared alongside Rogers at a Detroit church service Sunday before announcing her endorsement. The decision triggered an immediate backlash from Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and prompted the resignation of Stevens’ longtime chief of staff.
El-Sayed sought to minimize the controversy, telling reporters that his attention remained on Michigan voters and issues such as grocery prices, energy costs and economic conditions rather than the political dispute with Stevens.
