Abdul El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, won the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan this month, becoming the first Muslim nominated by a major party for a U.S. Senate seat. His nomination was swiftly followed by religion-based attacks from Republican figures, including President Donald Trump and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who repeatedly referred to him by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, and depicted him as a threat to the country.
Muslim Democratic Senate nominees El-Sayed and Mamdani face religion-based attacks from Republicans
Abdul El-Sayed, the son of Egyptian immigrants, won the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan this month, becoming the first Muslim nominated by a major party for a U.S. Senate seat. His nomination was swiftly followed by religion-based attacks from Republican figures, including President Donald Trump and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who repeatedly referred to him by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, and depicted him as a threat to the country.
Rep. Mace posted on X that 'every single Muslim holding public office in America is a trojan horse, and a threat to both national security and our republic.' President Trump posted an image contrasting himself and his wife with El-Sayed and his hijab-wearing wife, according to Time. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer stated, according to Time, that 'Muslims need to be treated like enemy combatants.' Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas called both El-Sayed and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani 'Islamists,' telling Fox News they 'want Sharia Law, they hate Jews, they hate Christians, they hate capitalism, and they hate America,' according to Time.
El-Sayed responded to the attacks by telling MS NOW, according to the Associated Press, that 'we all pray for the same things... we want what's good for our kids and our families,' adding: 'They're going to use Islamophobia, because their ideas are tired.'
The attacks on El-Sayed also involve controversies within the Democratic Party. According to Time, Jewish voters and supporters of Israel have raised objections to El-Sayed's criticisms of Israel and his decision to campaign with activist Hasan Piker, who has been accused of anti-Semitism and who has walked back previous statements that the United States deserved the September 11 attacks. El-Sayed has repeatedly declined to say whether he would campaign with Piker again, according to Time. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Jewish Democrat, has said she plans to skip the state party's August 29 convention out of concern for her safety, saying party officials are not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism, according to Time. Senate Republicans' campaign arm has aired advertisements highlighting El-Sayed's full name, according to Time.
The Associated Press reported that Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said American Muslims have made political and societal progress in recent years, citing Mamdani's election as New York City's first Muslim mayor, but that 'there also is a very concerted backlash to this progress,' including 'the resurgence of anti-Muslim hate and rhetoric, the targeting of mosques.' The AP also noted that community-level tensions over anti-Muslim sentiment have emerged in several parts of the country, including opposition to the construction of new mosques.
Mamdani, described by Time as a democratic socialist whose parents are of Indian descent, drew comparable criticism early in his tenure as New York City's mayor. A June poll from Siena University found 58 percent of New Yorkers held a favorable opinion of him, according to Time, which attributed this partly to his active social media presence, podcast, and communication skills.
- The sources do not establish the full margin of El-Sayed's primary victory or the names of the candidates he defeated.
- El-Sayed's specific policy positions that some Democratic insiders cited as potentially problematic are not detailed in either source.
- The sources do not include any response from Hasan Piker to the renewed attention on his past statements.
- The sources do not report any official response from the Michigan Democratic Party to Attorney General Nessel's concerns about anti-Semitism.
- The sources do not specify the content or funding levels of the Senate Republicans' campaign arm advertisements beyond their use of El-Sayed's full name.
- No polling on El-Sayed's standing in the Michigan general election race is provided.
- The sources do not establish what, if any, formal party response or condemnation has been issued regarding the anti-Muslim rhetoric described.
- TIME — original — by Philip Elliott
- Associated Press — by David Crary