Michigan Senate race: El-Sayed rejects Trump's attacks as 'deflections'

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is framing President Donald Trump's attacks on his faith as a diversion from household costs and foreign policy. Speaking at a Detroit news conference on Monday, El-Sayed called the President's comments "deflections and deceptions based on no evidence." He argued the administration's record on fuel prices and the war on Iran is driving the rhetoric, telling the room, "They have nothing to say about solving the problems in your life. They're not talking about you."

The exchange began at a Michigan rally on Sunday, where Trump repeatedly questioned El-Sayed's loyalties. Trump alleged El-Sayed intends to impose Sharia law and suggested the candidate poses a physical threat to the Capitol. "He would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go into the Senate," Trump said. El-Sayed, a former public health official, laughed at the metal detector comment during the Detroit briefing. "He knows I got those Wolverine claws," El-Sayed said, referencing his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

El-Sayed's remarks target his opponent's platform as well. He told reporters that Republicans are silent on gas, groceries, clean air, and clean water. "Because Donald Trump has created those problems," El-Sayed said. He also rejected characterizations of his background that have surfaced during the campaign. "My name and my faith are not the reason you can't afford your gas.. not the reason you can't see a doctor," he said.

The contest pits El-Sayed against former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers. The outcome could determine which party controls the Senate for the next two years. Rogers has centered his campaign on allegations connecting El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah. El-Sayed said Monday that most Americans reject such arguments. "There are always a few small people who want to make America small like that," El-Sayed said. "You see them; they're very loud, and they bark."

El-Sayed also addressed Trump's use of the name "Mohamed" for him. "Michiganders are a lot bigger than that," he said. Voters in Michigan will decide the race.