President Donald Trump launched a blistering attack on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, claiming the Muslim politician would struggle to get onto an airplane because of his supposed national security risk.
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politician → launch → risk
Trump's attack prompted a mocking response from his rival as the midterm campaign enters its final week in a crucial contest that could decide the balance of power in both houses of Congress.
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that → prompt → Congress
The president unleashed his accusations at a rally in Port Huron, Michigan on Sunday, branding El-Sayed a 'jihadist' and deliberately calling him 'Mohammed' as he sought to shore up Republican support in one of the country's most fiercely contested Senate races.
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he → unleash → races
But El-Sayed, 41, swiftly hit back with a defiant message of his own, joking that Trump would soon have to address him by an entirely different title.
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Trump → hit → title
'I don't even care that he remembers my whole name because he can just go on and call me senator after November,' El-Sayed told cheering supporters at a rival rally in Grand Rapids.
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Sayed → care → Rapids
The exchange came as Trump embarked on a frantic final campaign blitz across America, desperately trying to motivate Republican voters before the November 3 elections.
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Trump → come → elections
Speaking in Michigan, where Republican Mike Rogers is battling El-Sayed for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Gary Peters, Trump wasted little time attacking his party's opponent.
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Trump → speak → opponent
President Donald Trump claimed Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed would be 'screened and unable to get a seat on an airplane,' while branding him a 'jihadist'
Michigan Democrat senatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed fired back at Trump's attacks on his Muslim faith and name, joking to cheering supporters: 'I don't even care that he remembers my whole name because he can just go on and call me senator after November.'
'I'm here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator, and that's the fact.
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that → claim → member
Not going to let that happen,' Trump declared.
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Trump → go → ?
He went on to allege that El-Sayed wanted America 'to go to Sharia law' and claimed somebody with his record 'would be screened and unable to get a seat on an airplane.
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somebody → go → airplane
Trump also suggested El-Sayed would 'have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate,' while invoking the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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he → suggest → attacks
There is no evidence El-Sayed belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Democratic candidate has repeatedly denied having connections to extremist organizations.
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candidate → be → organizations
He has also publicly denounced the Muslim Brotherhood.
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He → denounce → Brotherhood
The bitter personal attacks represent an escalation in a campaign already dominated by accusations about El-Sayed's religious beliefs, loyalty and family background.
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attacks → represent → beliefs
Republicans have highlighted past comments by his half-sister about her family's connections to the Muslim Brotherhood, while El-Sayed maintains the allegations are designed to distract from voters' concerns about healthcare and the cost of living.
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allegations → highlight → living
The Democrat even found time to ridicule Trump's fascination with politicians' physical appearances.
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Democrat → find → appearances
After Trump praised rapper Nicki Minaj's backside during his Michigan appearance, El-Sayed joked about how he would handle meeting the president in Washington.
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he → praise → Washington
Rapper Nicki Minaj joined Donald Trump onstage at his Michigan rally to encourage Republican voters to turn out, after the president raised eyebrows by publicly praising her backside
President Donald Trump looks to an image of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on screen during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan
'When I get to DC, man, I'm just gonna make sure that I never let him see mine.
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him → join → mine
Right here,' he said, pointing toward his eyes.
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he → say → eyes
Trump's comments about El-Sayed also provoked fury from an unlikely quarter: Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump, which helped the president win support from Arab American voters in 2024.
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president → provoke → 2024
'The president's statements are out of line,' Bahbah said.
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Bahbah → say → line
'They are crossing a red line.
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They → cross → line
The president of the United States saying that about a person because of his religion, that is just not acceptable.
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that → say → religion
The controversy overshadowed what was supposed to be a major show of Republican unity in Michigan, where Trump appeared alongside Rogers and received a celebrity endorsement from Minaj.
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Trump → overshadow → Minaj
It also came just 24 hours after former President Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats in the state, setting up a high-stakes confrontation between the two.
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Obama → come → two
Trump's relentless campaign schedule underscores the pressure facing Republicans as they attempt to defend their congressional majorities amid voter frustration over inflation, fuel prices and the war with Iran.
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they → underscore → Iran
After campaigning in Georgia on Saturday and Michigan on Sunday, Trump is scheduled to head to Mississippi later on Monday to support Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who faces an unexpectedly competitive challenge from Democrat Scott Colom.
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who → campaign → Colom
President Donald Trump dances as he departs after speaking during a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan.
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he → dance → Huron
He is heading to Mississippi on Monday followed by Texas on Tuesday
El-Sayed has repeatedly denied links to extremist groups, accusing Republicans of using his Muslim faith to distract voters from pressing concerns over rising prices and healthcare costs
El-Sayed appeared at a midterm campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan alongside Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders
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Sayed → head → Sanders
The president will then make two appearances in Texas on Tuesday, followed by rallies in Ohio on Wednesday, Florida on Friday and Iowa later in the campaign's closing stretch.
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president → make → stretch
His decision to devote considerable time to traditionally Republican states highlights the party's determination to turn out supporters in areas once considered relatively safe.
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decision → devote → areas
Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to treat the midterms as a referendum on his presidency.
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Trump → urge → presidency
'When I'm not on the ballot, people don't show up,' he complained in Michigan.
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he → show → Michigan
The president also revived his allegations about election integrity, suggesting without evidence that Michigan vote counters could manipulate the results.
'We got to be careful with the cheating vote counters, though,' Trump told supporters, singling out Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is running for governor.
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who → revive → governor
'Please, will you please watch it, fellas?
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you → watch → it
Especially with Benson, you got to watch it.'
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you → get → it
Trump also falsely claimed that he had won Michigan in three presidential elections.
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he → claim → elections
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