Trump invokes 9/11 attacks to portray Muslim Senate candidate El-Sayed as extremist

During a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, Donald Trump criticized Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, whom he described as a jihadist and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Trump likened El-Sayed to the attackers who took over United Flight 93 during the September 11, 2001, attacks. The Jerusalem Post reports that Trump compared voting against El-Sayed to the actions of Todd Beamer and others who fought back against the hijackers, stating that Michigan needs to stand up and fight to stop a jihadist from entering the Capitol.

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News noted that Trump's criticisms come amid controversy regarding El-Sayed's statements on Israel and his response to a synagogue attack. Free Malaysia Today reported that El-Sayed has dismissed the accusations against him and defended his religion in a recent advertisement.

The Michigan Senate contest is described as one of the nation's most competitive ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, with Republican former Representative Mike Rogers vying for the open seat against El-Sayed. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Brief written by urgent.news from Arutz Sheva - Israel National News, Free Malaysia Today, Jerusalem Post, CBS News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.