Donald Trump called Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist,” a “communist,” a “lunatic”, claimed he was “on the side of the terrorists,” and said he “would have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate.” But the results are in, and Michigan has officially voted to send El-Sayed to the United States Senate as the nation’s first Muslim senator.
In the end, it wasn’t even particularly close. Mike Rogers, who had echoed Trump’s rhetoric about El-Sayed, scored 45.7% of the vote to El-Sayed’s 52.3%, with around 95% of votes counted.
El-Sayed struck a defiant note in his victory speech (per the Wall Street Journal), acknowledging the attacks on his race, religion, and accusations of anti-semitism by telling voters: “You took a chance on the unlikeliest of candidates. You welcomed me in your homes, your churches, your synagogues.” He added that in victory, “We can go from inshallah to alhamdulillah.”
“Where else can a doctor named Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed become senator of America’s greatest state?”
The new senator went on to credit everyone who worked on his campaign and delivered his message across Michigan’s cities and small towns, saying that speaking with regular voters gave him the strength to go on even in his lowest moments.
El-Sayed also directly mocked Israel lobbying group AIPAC, whose massive financial donations to campaigns dominated the election news cycle: “To AIPAC, who spent 42 million to beat us, thank you for the opportunity to beat you twice. They try to call you hateful if you believe that Palestinian kids should get to grow up in the land of their forefathers without being murdered by our tax dollars.”
He also emphasized that he feels this is a triumph over racism and Islamophobia, saying: “They built an astroturf-funded campaign to deceive and distract. Rather than contend with the price of living, they tried to divide us. They pointed at my name and face and faith, and tried to guilt me by association, but that’s not why you can’t afford gas or a doctor.”
“They hate everyone who doesn’t look like them or pray like them or love like them or is rich like them. We know the USA is big enough for all of us. Trump’s insults got uglier by the day, but I spent those days with you.”
He also turned his attention to the White House, saying he’s looking forward to being sworn in as a senator by JD Vance, (who called him a “little weasel”) and that Trump can finally stop having problems with his name: “J.D., habibi, there is a delicious irony that you are constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January. Donald, I know you struggle with my name, so you can just call me Senator.”
But he concluded on a hopeful and patriotic note, saying, “Where else can a doctor named Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed become senator of America’s greatest state? I know everything America has given me, and I love America. I want this to be the America for all our kids.”
Published: Nov 4, 2026 07:00 am