A C-SPAN recording of President Donald Trump’s Sunday, Oct. 25, rally in Port Huron captures him linking Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, an allegation PolitiFact later rated “Pants on Fire” ahead of Michigan’s Nov. 3 election.
PolitiFact said its review found no support for the alleged Brotherhood affiliation or Trump’s portrayal of El-Sayed as an advocate of violence in Islam’s name. The White House did not respond to the fact-checker’s request for evidence. The findings add to earlier EconoTimes coverage of Trump’s unsupported accusations against El-Sayed.
The Associated Press reported that El-Sayed answered Trump at a Grand Rapids rally later that Sunday, saying, “I will be Senator Muhammad to you, bro.” The remark and its setting were reported by the AP.
The AP described Trump’s attacks as an effort to generate turnout while Republicans faced concerns about inflation, fuel prices and the Iran war. It placed the Port Huron rally near communities where Trump had made gains among Arab American voters in 2024. Separately, the AP reported that Trump carried Dearborn that year, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win the city since 2000.
The Michigan Department of State’s candidate listing names El-Sayed and Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers for the six-year term. The seat is held by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, whose office has said he will not seek reelection. The AP reported that the contest is among those that could help determine control of the Senate.
The Michigan Secretary of State says early in-person voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. El-Sayed’s campaign lists economic concerns, affordable housing and health care among its priorities. Voters will decide the Senate race on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
