From ABC News · ABC News · · 2m
El-Sayed: Trump attacks on faith distract from policy pain
Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate says Republican attacks on his religion ignore Americans' economic struggles under Trump's second term.
In brief
Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate says Republican attacks on his religion ignore Americans' economic struggles under Trump's second term. Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate in Michigan's tight Senate race, says Trump and Republicans attack his faith to distract from economic hardship caused by their…
Tight Michigan Senate race
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate, faces Republican Mike Rogers in a race that could determine Senate control. A Fox News poll from late September showed them essentially tied.
Trump attacks El-Sayed's faith
President Trump and national Republicans have repeatedly attacked El-Sayed over his faith and ethnicity. Trump calls him by his middle name Mohammed and urges voters to reject candidates like him.
“preserve our religion, our values, and our heritage”
El-Sayed: attacks distract from pain
El-Sayed told ABC News the attacks on his name and faith are meant to distract from Americans' real struggles. He said people cannot afford gas and groceries under Trump's policies.
“They think they can point to my name and my faith and distract us from the fact that we can't afford our gas and we can't afford our groceries.”
Israel is not a US ally, El-Sayed says
El-Sayed, who opposes unchecked US military support for Israel, told ABC News Israel is not actually a friend to America.
“An ally that takes your money to push you into wars you shouldn't be fighting is not an ally.”
On Iran: condemn actions, seek peace
El-Sayed said he condemns many Iranian actions but believes the US must engage with actors to find peace. He said the US should not have abandoned the nuclear deal with Iran.
“I condemn a lot of their action, but if you want a pathway to peace with folks, you're going to have to figure out how to get to a position of peace.”
Medicare for all like climbing Everest
El-Sayed, a long-time Medicare for all supporter, compared the overhaul to climbing Mount Everest. He said he supports steps that increase healthcare access and reduce corporate power.
“I kind of think about it like climbing Mt. Everest, right? Maybe you're not going to be able to climb Mt. Everest in one big go, I understand.”
Tariff war with Canada is insane
Speaking in Sault Ste.Marie on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, El-Sayed condemned Trump's tariff war with Canada.
“Starting a tariff war with Canada is an insane thing to do. And we pay for it.”
El-Sayed supports tariffs on Chinese EVs
When asked about specific tariffs he would support, El-Sayed cited placing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to support the American auto industry, a policy backed by the United Auto Workers Union.
Missing the moments between the bricks
El-Sayed said the hardest part of campaigning is missing the small moments with his family, not just headline events. His wife Sarah maintains normalcy at home and keeps negative ads away from their children.
“It's those interstitial moments, the cement between the bricks. And so there's a lot of sadness about missing some of those moments.”
The key point
Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate in Michigan's tight Senate race, says Trump and Republicans attack his faith to distract from economic hardship caused by their policies.
