Abdul El-Sayed's final push for Michigan Senate

A candidate under siege

Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate, now has three bodyguards after facing intense attacks from Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance, who called him a little weasel.

“When the President is constantly coming after you, there's real consequences.”

Vance's attack and El-Sayed's response

At a campaign stop, Vice-President J.D. Vance called El-Sayed a little weasel and told him to shut his mouth. El-Sayed responded by reclaiming the insult as a wolverine.

“No, no, no. What you're talking about is a fucking wolverine.”

Trump's faith-based attack

At a Port Huron rally, Trump announced he was there to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a U.S. senator, directly attacking El-Sayed's Muslim faith.

“I'm here to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a U.S. senator.”

A tight race in Michigan

Recent polls show El-Sayed leading Republican Mike Rogers by only a few points, within their margins of error. Every vote matters in this close contest.

“You need every vote here. It's not like California, which is a huge state but you can take things for granted a bit.”

The Upper Peninsula strategy

El-Sayed is running up a lead on the Upper Peninsula, home to three hundred thousand people, or three per cent of Michigan's population. He leads Rogers by nearly six points there.

“If you want rural, working-class communities to be in play, you've got to come to the Upper Peninsula.”

A hospital rally in Sault Ste. Marie

El-Sayed campaigned at a protest in Sault Ste.Marie over a hospital bought by a larger health-care provider.He told locals the fight for this hospital is the fight for rural health care across the country.

“The fight for this particular hospital is the fight for rural health care across the country.”

El-Sayed's platform and background

A doctor and former director of Wayne County's department of health and human services, El-Sayed is running on money out of politics and Medicare for all, appealing to voters disillusioned by both parties.

Connection with Indigenous communities

Since twenty twenty-five, El-Sayed has made four trips to Sault Ste. Marie and entered Ojibwe sweat lodges twice. Two Ojibwe elders gave him a hand-crafted drum as a symbol of their support.

“A hand-drum is the heartbeat of our people.”

El-Sayed's confidence and personality

El-Sayed is known as a confident figure willing to confront opponents directly. Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow said if he can convince people he is listening and fighting for them, he can win.

“If Abdul can convince people he's listening to them and fighting for them, and not just asking them to fight for him, he can win this thing.”

The Muslim Brotherhood question

At a campaign stop in Caro, a man named Tommy asked El-Sayed to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed responded by comparing the question to attacks on J.F.K. over his Catholic faith.

“You assume, Tommy, because I'm Muslim that I would have some allegiance to something that's not the U.S. Constitution.”

The viral exchange

El-Sayed's exchange with Tommy went viral and has been viewed fifty million times. Tommy later said he was satisfied with El-Sayed's answer, though it did not change his overall opinion.

Tommy Teepell's real identity

Tommy Teepell is a political operative and former aide to Missouri senator Josh Hawley. His father Timmy Teepell's firm received two hundred and fifty thousand dollars from America Next for opposition to El-Sayed.

Coordinated opposition campaign

America Next, a nonprofit waging a war of ideas for conservative America, funded opposition to El-Sayed through influencer marketing. A leaked chat showed college Republicans were offered two hundred dollars to heckle him.

“We are going to coordinate questions to ask him and spread out to increase the chances we're called on.”

Republican strategy and concerns

Republican strategist Jeff Timmer said fearmongering and hate are what Trumpism is built on. Some liberals see the race-baiting as a sign Republicans have a base-turnout problem.

“The sad truth is that peddling fearmongering, hate, racism, and bigotry still works.”

Obama's support and Detroit challenge

Barack Obama campaigned with El-Sayed at Detroit's Cass Technical High School, saying the attacks on him will not work. But El-Sayed lost Detroit to moderate Haley Stevens by more than thirty points in the primary.

“This stuff didn't work on me, not in Michigan. It's not going to work on Abdul.”

Tensions with Black voters

Arab voters did not turn out for Kamala Harris in twenty twenty-four over Gaza, and tensions remain between Detroit's Black and Arab communities. Some Black leaders worry El-Sayed did not have their back.

“When we needed you, you didn't have our back. And Black women vote. We're loyal, and we vote.”

Concerns from Jewish voters

El-Sayed has said he does not view Israel as an American ally and rejects its existence as a Jewish state. Some Jewish voters worry about his statements and whether he takes their safety seriously.

“My issue with him isn't about Israel policy. It's the way he speaks about Jews.”

El-Sayed's reassurance to Jewish voters

El-Sayed said his commitment to Jewish safety is the same as his commitment to his own daughters' safety. He said people can address antisemitism while bringing communities together.

“My commitment to Jewish safety is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters.”

Personal toll and recurring fears

El-Sayed wears a bracelet reading best dad made by his daughters. He became emotional discussing how his campaign has put his family in danger and his lifelong fear of dying young.

“I'll be honest, I've had a recurring dream that I'm going to get, I'm going to die young, my whole life.”