Abdul El-Sayed made history Tuesday, becoming the first Muslim U.S. Senator after winning Michigan’s Senate seat. Appearing before his supporters after the result was announced, Abdul took a swipe at President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
“You took a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates. You welcomed me in your homes, your churches, your synagogues.”
Those were some of Abdul El-Sayed’s words from his victory speech late Tuesday, as it was clear he had won the Michigan Senate seat.
The 42-year-old defeated former Republican congressman Mike Rogers in the race to win Michigan’s vacant Senate seat, securing a victory in one of the most closely watched contests of the midterm elections.
With the win, El-Sayed also made history, becoming the first-ever Muslim Senator.
While Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign has been long and, in the end, very successful, he has endured attacks from political opponents and critics, including Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Much of the criticism focused on his Muslim faith and his name.
Donald Trump branded Abdul El-Sayed “jihadist lunatic” before midterms
During a campaign event in Iowa on Sunday, days before the midterms, President Donald Trump even called Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist,” claiming he would need to pass through a metal detector to enter the Senate.
“If you vote for this jihadist lunatic that wants to destroy you, you’re crazy,” Trump said, per The Guardian.
El-Sayed has argued several times that his opponents had chosen to divide voters rather than address everyday problems and issues Americans face. For example, the rising cost of gas and groceries.
Abdul, a doctor, has also claimed that Trump and his administration have failed to answer the problems facing ordinary Americans.
“They want an America that is too small for some of us,” El-Sayed said. “We know that America is big enough for all of us.”
Trump also called the now-Senator a “communist” and slandered him as a member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.
El-Sayed challenged Trump’s metal detector demand with Epstein remark
However, during a rally at the Western Michigan University campus, while referencing Trump’s comments about the metal detector, El-Sayed responded, saying, “He said that I should have to go through a metal detector. That’s all right, man, he took that Wolverine thing seriously. He knows I got claws.”
“But here’s the deal, Donald. Listen. I’ll go through a metal detector if you’ll sit for a lie detector. Simple. I got nothing to hide. You’ve got so much to hide,” El-Sayed added, referring to Donald Trump’s relationship with the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
My first question. Epstein. Second question. Did you win the 2020 election? So that’s the deal. I’ll go through a metal detector every day. You sit through a lie detector one time. That’s the deal.”
Abdul El-Sayed mocks Trump with pointed message amid Senate victory
Donald Trump lashed out at and mocked El-Sayed several times in the last week, including referring to his name. At one rally, the president called Abdul “Mohammed,” but in his victory speech, the now-Senator took revenge.
Abdul El-Sayed pushed back against attacks over his identity and delivered a message about belonging in America, before directing a pointed remark at President Donald Trump.
First, Abdul took a swipe at Vice President JD Vance, saying, “Habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in, in January.”
Then, he turned to Donald Trump:
“Donald, I know you struggled with my name. So after JD swears me in in January, you can just go on and call me ‘Senator,'” El-Sayed said.
Donald Trump has not yet commented on Abdul El-Sayed’s victory-speech remark.
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