Trump Links Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El-Sayed to Muslim Brotherhood Amidst Heated Campaign

President Donald Trump has accused Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed of alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a claim the Democratic candidate vehemently denies. President Trump also repeatedly referred to Mr. El-Sayed as “Mohammed” as the electoral contest in the crucial battleground state intensifies. “His name is Abdul, but I think I call him Mohammed Abdul El-Sayed, and he's a Muslim Brotherhood guy, 100 per cent,” President Trump stated at the White House on Thursday.

The accusation regarding the Muslim Brotherhood emerges less than three weeks before the midterm elections, coinciding with the escalating race in the swing state. Michigan, home to approximately 300,000 Arab Americans, has previously seen President Trump secure a victory. Current polls indicate Mr. El-Sayed holds a narrow lead over his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, who is an ally of President Trump.

Throughout the campaign, President Trump has characterized Mr. El-Sayed as a radical and a “jihadist lunatic,” among other remarks perceived as Islamophobic. The elections on November 3rd are pivotal for determining control of Congress, with the Michigan Senate race being one of the most closely observed contests. Should Mr. El-Sayed emerge victorious, he would be the first Muslim to be elected to the US Senate.

Recent US media reports have cited social media posts attributed to Mr. El-Sayed’s half-sister, which allegedly suggest his mother was a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. El-Sayed, whose parents are Egyptian immigrants, has refuted these accusations, at times dismissing them entirely. His parents divorced during his childhood, and he was subsequently raised by his American stepmother.

“I have no ties. We have no ties,” Mr. El-Sayed stated in an interview with NBC that was broadcast on Thursday. “I have never had these conversations with my mother. I wasn’t raised by my mother. You’re using hearsay evidence from a tweet. It’s just not serious.”

Mr. El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former health official, has also faced scrutiny regarding his qualifications. During a contentious debate last week, Mr. Rogers labeled Mr. El-Sayed a “con man” and asserted that he had connections to armed groups in the Middle East. “He can't condemn Hamas. He can't condemn the Muslim Brotherhood. He says his home is Egypt,” Mr. Rogers remarked. He later implied that concerns about surveillance might be personal for Mr. El-Sayed, suggesting he or a family member could be suspected of terrorism. “Go ahead and say it,” Mr. El-Sayed interjected. “You've been tiptoeing around it the whole time.”