{
  "id": 14839049,
  "title": "El-Sayed pushes back at Republicans who judge him because he ‘might pray differently’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/el-sayed-pushes-back-at-republicans-who-judge-him-because-he-might",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-16T01:34:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/10/15/2026/el-sayed-pushes-back-at-republicans-who-judge-him-because-he-might-pray-differently"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed criticized President Donald Trump and Republican rival Mike Rogers for using his Muslim faith as a political weapon. In a statement to Semafor, El-Sayed stressed the importance of judging candidates by their actions and work, rather than their religious beliefs. The Republican frontrunner has recently spread allegations that El-Sayed and his family are connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization Trump's administration has labeled as a terrorist group. El-Sayed, an American of Egyptian descent, is poised to become the first Muslim senator if elected.\n\nEl-Sayed defended himself against the GOP accusations during a recent TV interview, calling the claims \"insane\" and insisting that his family members are not involved with the Muslim Brotherhood. He questioned the credibility of half-sister's social media posts, which allegedly reference his mother's association with the group. El-Sayed clarified that he did not have contact with his mother for years after his parents divorced when he was young, and that he is unaware of any family members having been members of the organization.\n\nComparing his situation to past examples, El-Sayed likened the accusations to those made against John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president, and President Barack Obama, the first Black president. Kennedy faced accusations of dual loyalties due to his Catholic faith, while Obama endured conspiracy theories about his religious practices as a Christian. El-Sayed's campaign in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, alongside progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aims to broaden the electorate in an area that has traditionally been more Republican.",
  "summary": "The president on Thursday night accused the Democrat of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.",
  "key_points": [
    "El-Sayed criticizes Republicans for using his Muslim faith as a political weapon.",
    "He denies allegations of connection to the Muslim Brotherhood, calling them insane.",
    "El-Sayed compares accusations to those made against JFK and Obama."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Weaponizing religious identity against a candidate shifts the political debate from policy and performance to personal faith, potentially creating new barriers for minority candidates seeking high office.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}