US President Donald Trump is facing a backlash after invoking 9/11 as part of a verbal assault on Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Michigan.
Speaking at a rally in the state on Sunday, Trump accused El-Sayed of being “a jihadist”. He introduced as a guest speaker the father of a passenger who fought back against the 9/11 hijackers.
Trump also suggested that El-Sayed would “have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate”.
Critics condemned Trump’s attack as Islamophobic. El-Sayed himself responded to Trump’s decision to refer to him by his middle name, Mohamed, saying during a rally of his own: “I’ll be Senator Mohamed to you, bro.”
He also said: “They think that by pointing at my name and my faith, that somehow you’re going to ignore the fact that you can’t afford your gas or your groceries, can’t see a doctor.”
Appearing alongside him, Senator Bernie Sanders said: “The reason they are using Islamophobia against Abdul is because they have nothing to say about the real issues.”
El-Sayed is taking on Republican candidate Mike Rogers on 3 November. The race is expected to be one of the closest in the midterm elections, and is proving to be particularly bitter.
The seat is considered to be one of just a handful that could decide the balance of power in Congress. It is currently held by the Democrats.
El-Sayed, a former public health official who was born in the US to Egyptian parents, will be the first Muslim elected to the US Senate if he wins the seat.
He has previously dismissed the various attacks made against him by both Trump and Rogers and denied any connection to extremist groups.
