President Trump has escalated his attacks on Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in the campaign's final stretch, calling him "a Muslim radical" and claiming without evidence that he is "a Muslim Brotherhood member, even though he denies it." Trump has also said more broadly that "we have jihadists being elected all over the place," a line widely understood to reference El-Sayed's campaign. The Associated Press has reported there is no evidence El-Sayed has any affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The attacks have taken visual form as well: Trump posted an image to Truth Social showing himself and First Lady Melania Trump alongside a photo of El-Sayed and his wife, Sarah Jukaku, who wears a hijab. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has run ads invoking El-Sayed's full name alongside attempts to tie him to Hamas, and his Republican opponent, former Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, has claimed El-Sayed "can't condemn terrorism in our own country because he's so close to the people who are supporting the Muslim Brotherhood."

El-Sayed Fires Back

El-Sayed, a physician and former Detroit health director who would become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate if he wins, has pushed back hard, calling the Muslim Brotherhood claims "hearsay" and arguing the rhetoric is designed to make his religion the central story of the race rather than his record. In response to the attacks, El-Sayed has leaned into, rather than away from, his Muslim identity, telling voters the smears say more about the people making them than about him.

"WE HAVE JIHADISTS BEING ELECTED ALL OVER THE PLACE"

The Michigan race has become one of the most closely watched — and bitterly contested — contests of the midterm cycle, in a state with one of the country's largest Muslim and Arab American populations. Reporting on the broader pattern of attacks against Muslim candidates nationally has noted that El-Sayed is far from the only target, as Republicans have increasingly used similar language against Muslim Democratic candidates in multiple states this cycle.

Polling suggests the attacks haven't dented El-Sayed's standing. A RealClearPolling average cited by reporters covering the race showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by roughly 2.7 percentage points, 48.4% to 45.7%, heading into the final week. Both parties are pouring money into the state, viewing the open Senate seat as a potential tipping point in the fight for Senate control.

With Election Day set for November 3, both campaigns are expected to intensify their closing arguments in the coming days, and allies of both candidates say they expect the rhetoric around El-Sayed's faith to remain a flashpoint through the final stretch.