Donald Trump Compares Michigan Senate Candidate to 9/11 Attackers
In Port Huron, Michigan, US President Donald Trump escalated his political rhetoric on Sunday by comparing Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to the September 11 hijackers during a campaign rally ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. American voters across Michigan are facing a key decision for an open seat that could determine control of the US Senate, where El-Sayed is vying against former Republican Representative Mike Rogers.
Trump Invokes Flight 93 in Battle for Competitive Open Senate Seat
Addressing a crowd in an eastern Michigan district where 66 percent of the vote went to Trump in the 2024 presidential election, Trump directly referenced Michigan native Todd Beamer and other passengers who fought back against hijackers aboard United Flight 93. Trump urged the audience to oppose El-Sayed, who would become the first Muslim elected to the US Senate if victorious, labeling him a jihadist and alleging membership in the Muslim Brotherhood. Trump added that if elected, El-Sayed would be the only senator required to pass through a metal detector to enter the Capitol.
El-Sayed, who was born in Michigan and has repeatedly denied any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood, addressed supporters at a Sunday night event in Grand Rapids. Calling the attacks on his loyalty shameful, El-Sayed questioned Trump’s focus on his name while noting that foreign entities in Saudi Arabia have provided billions to Affinity Partners, the private equity fund run by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and that Qatar gifted Trump a $400 million Boeing 747 jet.
The rhetoric has highlighted divisions within the race. Earlier on Sunday, Republican candidate Mike Rogers distanced himself from Trump’s specific framing during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” stating explicitly that he has never called El-Sayed a violent terrorist. However, Rogers maintained that El-Sayed has ties to Democratic Socialists of America-aligned organizations and argued that the Democratic candidate has failed to address concerns regarding radical support groups.
