Trump Tells Black and Jewish Voters They’re ‘Crazy’ to Back Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed

President Trump went after Michigan’s Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed during a campaign rally in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Thursday, warning Black and Jewish voters against supporting the progressive candidate just days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

“If you’re Black, or if you’re Jewish, and if you vote for Abdul, you’re crazy, ok? You’re crazy,” the president told the crowd, drawing applause. He then added, “You’re crazy anyway.”

Trump did not explain the second remark.

The president also repeated his claim that El-Sayed is tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. “They have a guy running now who’s definitely Muslim Brotherhood,” Trump said. The allegation stems from a 2012 open letter El-Sayed co-signed that called on Egypt’s then-president Mohamed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood figure, to purge the government of loyalists of the country’s recently ousted dictator. El-Sayed has repeatedly denied any association with the group.
Trump also told the audience that anyone Jewish who supports El-Sayed should be ashamed of themselves.

Although he was in South Carolina to rally support for Republicans there, Trump spent part of his speech on races in Michigan and Texas. The Michigan Senate contest has become one of the most closely watched in the country, with El-Sayed facing Trump-backed Republican Mike Rogers, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. If he wins, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate.

Rogers has worked to build support among voters who did not back El-Sayed in the Democratic primary, including Black voters in and around Detroit and Jewish voters.

Thursday’s comments capped a week of attacks from the president. At a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Trump compared voting against El-Sayed to the actions of Michigan native Todd Beamer and other passengers who fought back against the hijackers on Flight 93 on 9/11. El-Sayed fired back at a separate Trump jab about metal detectors, saying he would walk through one if the president agreed to take a lie detector test.

Democrats quickly condemned the Rock Hill remarks. One critic told theGrio that Trump tried to turn Black voters, Jewish voters and Muslim Americans against each other in a single breath. Others argued that Black and Jewish voters don’t need the president’s permission to support El-Sayed or any other Democrat.
This is not the first time Trump has made such pitches to minority voters. During the 2024 presidential race, he repeatedly told demographic groups they should “have their head examined” if they voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a Truth Social post on July 27, 2024, Trump wrote, “Any Jewish person that votes for Kamala, or a Democrat, should immediately have their head examined.” He also told a largely Jewish gathering that if he lost that election, Jewish voters “would have a lot to do with a loss.”

Trump went on to win the 2024 election. Whether his latest message moves voters in Michigan will be decided on Tuesday.