El-Sayed says Trump is making him ‘main character of the midterms’

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says that President Trump is inadvertently turning him into the “main character” of the upcoming midterm elections. El-Sayed believes that this focus from the White House could actually provide him with a “gigantic platform” if he secures a victory in November.

During a campaign event on Tuesday, El-Sayed spoke to voters about the attention he has received from the president. “Trump is messing around and making me the … front page or the main character of the midterms,” El-Sayed said, as reported by The Hill. “That allows me then to both move a conversation but also maneuver inside because I can move a conversation across,” he added.

The relationship between the two has been contentious ever since El-Sayed defeated Representative Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary last month. President Trump has since targeted the candidate with harsh rhetoric across multiple platforms.

El-Sayed will be facing Senator Gary Peters in November

During a speech in Las Vegas the day after the Michigan primaries, the president referred to the candidate as a “man of hate” who “hates Jews and hates Israel.” The president further claimed that the candidate is not being sincere about his intentions. “He’s a man of hate, and now he’s going around saying, ‘Oh I love everybody.’ He doesn’t love everybody,” the president said in Las Vegas. “Put him in office, and you’re going to find out what he loves.”

President Trump has continued these attacks on Truth Social, where he has labeled the progressive Democrat as a “jihadist,” “crazy,” and a “dumocrat.” Vice President Vance also weighed in earlier this week, calling El-Sayed “evil” and accusing him of “fighting for one group at the expense of others.” El-Sayed, who was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan, to Egyptian immigrant parents, has maintained his focus on his domestic policy goals despite the pressure.

The core of his platform involves a shift away from foreign military involvement. El-Sayed has been vocal about his criticism of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. He argues that the United States government should prioritize domestic investment over international conflicts.

During his Tuesday event, he explained that his perspective on foreign affairs is rooted in a desire to see tax dollars remain within the country. “That money is money that’s being spent in the West Bank, that should be spent on the West Side [of Detroit],” he stated. He emphasized his desire to avoid what he calls “stupid wars,” focusing instead on infrastructure needs like water systems.

The race to succeed outgoing Senator Gary Peters is shaping up to be a very close contest. El-Sayed is set to face off against former Representative Mike Rogers in the general election. Recent polling conducted by EPIC-MIRA in late August showed El-Sayed with 47 percent support compared to 43 percent for Rogers. This survey had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

As of Monday, Decision Desk HQ estimated that El-Sayed holds a 68 percent chance of winning the seat.