President Donald Trump addressed a crowd in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Saturday, attacking Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed, a Muslim epidemiologist running as a Democrat. Trump repeatedly referred to El‑Sayed by the wrong name, calling him “Mohammed,” and described him as a “jihadist lunatic” who he said “hates our country.” The remarks came as the two candidates prepare to face off in the November midterm election for one of the country’s most consequential Senate seats.
During the rally, Trump said he could call El‑Sayed “whatever the hell I want” and insisted that “to me it’s Mohammed.” He also warned that he did not want a “jihadist” senator from Michigan, adding that he had won the state in his three presidential campaigns. After the rally, Trump posted on Truth Social praising El‑Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, describing Rogers as a “great American patriot” and claiming he “completely obliterated Mohammed El‑Sayed” in a televised debate.
Trump’s social‑media posts also labeled El‑Sayed a “radical extremist” and “terrorist sympathizer,” and he repeatedly misnamed the candidate in posts earlier that day. In response, El‑Sayed took to X, noting that Trump knows his correct name is Abdul but continues to attack him and, according to El‑Sayed, “all of us.” He criticized Trump’s use of the candidate’s faith and name as a distraction from the broader impacts of Trump’s policies.
The controversy highlights the heated rhetoric surrounding the Michigan Senate race, in which El‑Sayed would become the first Muslim senator if elected. The campaign continues to attract national attention as both candidates seek to appeal to voters ahead of the November election.
