CLARKSVILLE, Tennessee: US President Donald Trump drew criticism after repeatedly referring to Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as “Mohammed” at a campaign rally and describing him as a “radical jihadist.”
At the October 10 rally, Trump acknowledged being told that the candidate’s first name was Abdul, but said: “To me, it’s Mohammed. I’m the president. I can call him whatever the hell I want.” He later said he did not want “a jihadist as a senator from Michigan.”
El-Sayed, a physician and former director of the Detroit health department, has responded to Trump’s remarks by saying the president knows his name and that the attacks extend beyond him personally. The candidate has argued that references to his name and faith distract from issues such as household costs and healthcare.
The episode has intensified debate over rhetoric directed at Muslim and Arab American public figures during the US election campaign. Critics argue that deliberately misnaming a candidate and associating him with jihadism without substantiating the allegation can reinforce stereotypes linking Muslim identity with extremism.
Trump’s remarks are political accusations, not proof that El-Sayed supports terrorism. Reporting on such claims requires distinguishing the president’s words from independently verified facts.
The comments were made as El-Sayed campaigns for a US Senate seat in Michigan against Republican candidate Mike Rogers ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.
Sources: Democracy Now!; RealClearPolitics video/transcript.
