Michigan Senate race a test of attacks on Muslim candidate, progressive agenda
- With Election Day approaching, right-wing media figures are targeting Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed with rhetoric described as Islamophobic, repeatedly equating his Muslim identity with terrorism and antisocial behavior without factual justification.
- Former Trump campaign adviser Steve Cortes called El-Sayed a "crazy jihadi," language that President Donald Trump echoed later in the month, while Steve Bannon's War Room podcast has similarly promoted these narratives.
- Fox News host Jesse Watters and Newsmax host Carl Higbie questioned El-Sayed's fitness for office, with Higbie labeling him and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as individuals who do not "cope well with the American ideology."
- Pundits frequently promote the "red-green alliance" myth, linking progressive Muslim candidates to Islamists—a narrative rooted in post-9/11 national security rhetoric that aligns Islamophobia with conservative media's foundational beliefs.
- As the Michigan Senate race remains critical for chamber control, the rhetoric forces voters to weigh political identity and faith against broader concerns like inflation and the economy.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN The Republican argument against aspiring Senator Abdul El-Sayed is dangerously approaching “Don’t vote for him because he’s Muslim.” The virulent rhetoric directed against the Democratic candidate in Michigan is among the most discriminatory—some would say intolerant—of any modern election. President Donald Trump’s goal, Republican candidate Mike Rogers and even Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno seems clear: to presen…
When it comes to the midterm elections in Michigan, in the US, the discussion is almost exclusively about the Democratic candidate for the Senate: Abdul El-Sayed. But rather than about substantive policy, the debate has been characterized by discussions about Islamophobia. “I don’t vote for Muslim terrorists,” Michigan resident Erin tells SVT.
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