Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno argues only those who believe Jesus died for salvation should hold office while sharing a stage with a Hindu candidate

Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio told a crowd Wednesday night that people who do not believe Jesus died for their salvation have no place in the Senate. According to Mediaite, he said they “should be nowhere near Washington.”

The comments came during a rally in Chillicothe, Ohio. President Donald Trump and Senator Jon Husted appeared with him. Husted is locked in a close contest against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown.

Moreno then shifted to the Michigan Senate race. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is competing closely against former Representative Mike Rogers. An El-Sayed victory would make him the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate.

Remarks on faith requirements and the Michigan Senate contest

Moreno explained why he had campaigned for Rogers days earlier. “On Monday, I went up and campaigned with Mike Rogers because he’s in a race with somebody that just is an affront to me as an American,” he said. “By the way, an affront to me as a naturalized citizen to this country.”

Moreno was born in Colombia and later became a U.S. citizen. El-Sayed was born in suburban Detroit. El-Sayed has also been asked about alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties during the campaign.

He continued with a direct assessment of the Michigan Democrat. “This character, Abdul El-Sayed, can be nowhere near Washington, D.C.,” Moreno said. He added that non-Christians have no business in the Senate. “Do you think he understands that concept? That our rights come from God Almighty? That Jesus came here for our salvation. He should be nowhere near Washington, D.C. And Mike Rogers is gonna kick his a– on Tuesday.”

The position Moreno described would limit Senate service to those who accept that “Jesus came here for our salvation.” Under that standard, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, atheists, and others who do not share the belief would be excluded.

Hindu Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also addressed the same rally. He spoke from the same stage as Moreno.

The U.S. Constitution addresses religious qualifications for office in Article VI. It states that “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.”

Other Republicans have spoken about El-Sayed in recent days. Senator Ted Cruz said Wednesday that his election would create “a very real risk that Americans would die.” Rogers called him a “risk to our national security” during last week’s debate. At a Sunday rally, Trump described the Democrat as a “jihadist.” El-Sayed fired back at Trump over the remark.