Trump ramps up Islamophobic attacks on Abdul El-Sayed

US President Donald Trump has intensified his Islamophobic rhetoric against Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, baselessly accusing him of extremism and suggesting his election would threaten American traditions, including Christmas.

Speaking at a Republican campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Trump repeatedly targeted El-Sayed's Muslim faith as he sought to rally support for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.

The US president described El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat and former public health official, as a "jihadist" and falsely linked him to the Muslim Brotherhood, while suggesting that the candidate posed a security threat simply because of his religious identity.

"He would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate," Trump told supporters. "I want him to have a metal detector."

Trump also accused El-Sayed of seeking to introduce Islamic law in the United States, despite the candidate having made no such proposal.

"So Abdul… also wants our country to go to Sharia law, and if he ever pulls that off, he should be the first one that’s tried. I’ll be a witness," Trump said.

The attacks escalated when Trump warned supporters that an El-Sayed victory would lead to an influx of extremists and the erosion of American traditions.

"If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadists to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas," he said.

The remarks formed part of a broader campaign message portraying the Muslim candidate as a threat to national security, despite there being no evidence linking El-Sayed to extremist organisations.

El-Sayed, who was born in the United States, has pledged to uphold the US Constitution and has centred his campaign on economic issues, including healthcare affordability and the rising cost of living.

He has previously dismissed Trump's attacks on his religion as political distractions intended to divert attention from issues affecting American voters.

Islamophobia takes centre stage in Senate race

Trump's rhetoric was echoed by Rogers, who appeared alongside the president at Sunday's rally and repeated allegations linking his Democratic opponent to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Rogers also accused El-Sayed of receiving financial support from organisations associated with Hamas, Hezbollah and the Muslim Brotherhood, without presenting evidence to substantiate the claims.

"This DSA-affiliated candidate is also taking a lot of money from organizations that support the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and Hezbollah," Rogers said.

El-Sayed is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

The accusations come as Republicans fight to retain control of the Senate, with Michigan emerging as a closely contested battleground.

El-Sayed and Rogers are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.

Republicans currently hold 53 of the Senate's 100 seats, making the outcome in Michigan important to both parties' efforts to control the chamber.

During the rally, some Trump supporters shouted "traitor" when El-Sayed's name was mentioned, underscoring the hostility surrounding the contest.

A pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric

Trump's attacks on El-Sayed recall his earlier use of anti-Muslim rhetoric during his first presidential campaign.

In December 2015, Trump called for a sweeping ban on Muslims entering the United States, a proposal that became one of the defining controversies of his campaign.

After taking office in 2017, he introduced travel restrictions targeting several Muslim-majority countries, triggering widespread protests and legal challenges.

The latest remarks also follow weeks of attacks on El-Sayed's religious identity, including Trump's repeated misrepresentation of the candidate's name as "Mohammed".

The rally also came amid mounting economic pressure on Trump's administration over the continuing US-Israeli war against Iran.

Nearly eight months after the war began on 28 February, rising energy prices have added to concerns over the cost of living, particularly in Michigan.

Petrol prices in the state reached an average of $4.83 per gallon on Sunday, compared with $2.91 before the war.

Obama condemns attacks on El-Sayed's Muslim identity

Former US President Barack Obama has pushed back against the attacks on El-Sayed, drawing parallels between the Islamophobic rhetoric targeting the Democratic candidate and the racist conspiracy theories he faced during his own presidential campaigns.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Detroit on Saturday, a day before Trump's remarks, Obama accused Republicans of exploiting fear and religious prejudice to discredit their political opponents.

He warned that political attacks could use a candidate's name or faith to portray them as dangerous, untrustworthy or less American than their opponents.

"We have seen this movie before. I starred in it. I've got a long-form birth certificate to prove it," Obama said, referring to the racist "birther" conspiracy that falsely claimed he was not born in the United States.

"This stuff didn't work on me—not in Michigan. It's not going to work on Abdul."

Obama defended El-Sayed's American identity, pointing to his upbringing in Michigan, his family's ties to the automotive industry and his career as a doctor.

He also challenged Republican attempts to portray El-Sayed as a political extremist, arguing that his campaign priorities, including affordable healthcare and housing, reflected concerns shared by ordinary Americans.

In a pointed rejection of the religious divisions surrounding the Senate race, Obama highlighted the possibility of El-Sayed serving alongside Michigan's incumbent Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin, who is Jewish.

"You've got a Muslim man. You've got a Jewish woman fighting for you in the United States Senate. That's something, Michigan, you can be proud of," he said.

Obama also criticised the Trump administration's handling of the war against Iran, accusing Republicans of supporting a conflict that has driven up fuel prices for American households.