Abdul El-Sayed delivered a disturbing message to President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance as he celebrated his historic election victory in Michigan.
They used a variety of racist labels and rhetoric to target El-Sayed ahead of the midterm elections, where he will compete against President Trump’s handpicked candidate, Mike Rogers. Trump mocked his name and said that as president he could call the Michigan doctor and former public health official whatever he wanted. Trump called El-Sayed a “jihadist,” while Vance described him as a “psychopath.”
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
“JD, Habibi (an Arabic word of endearment), it’s ironic. You are constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” El-Sayed told cheering supporters early Wednesday, shortly after he was expected to win a closely contested election.
Democrats defeated Republican Rogers on Tuesday, making him the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate after a campaign marked by attacks on his faith, opposition to U.S. military adventurism in the Middle East and criticism of Washington’s support for Israel.
“To all the parents who have had a hard time explaining why the president would publicly ridicule someone’s name or how they pray, I want them to know tomorrow that the bad guys have lost,” he said in his victory speech.
But beyond the historic significance of the election, El-Sayed focused on his pledge to challenge economic inequality, health care and the cost of living in the country.
“Michiganders, it shouldn’t be this hard. Buying that second bag of groceries or filling up your tank of gas shouldn’t be this hard,” he said.
“It shouldn’t be this hard to pay your taxes and know that your money will go to you and your children instead of dropping bombs on other people and their children.”
His victory is seen as a milestone for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which has increasingly challenged the party’s status quo over economic inequality and America’s overseas wars, including its staunch support for Israel.
Moreover, Michigan’s victory is particularly important in the election, as Michigan is seen as a battleground state that Trump easily won just two years ago.
early life
El-Sayed was born and raised in the Detroit metropolitan area of Michigan and is of Egyptian descent.
He often describes his upbringing as a typical child of a “brown” immigrant family. He was a high achiever and was expected to succeed in everything he did.
A physician and public health expert, he studied at the University of Michigan and was valedictorian of the class of 2007. During the ceremony, guest speaker and former President Bill Clinton praised the senator-elect for delivering a speech focused on inclusivity and equality.
“I wish everyone in the world who believes that we are destined for a clash of civilizations and that we cannot cross religious divides would listen to you today,” he said.
He became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University in England. He also earned a medical degree from Columbia University in New York.
Before entering electoral politics, El-Sayed built a career in public health, working as an epidemiologist and ultimately leading the Detroit Health Department as its executive director.
He later became director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human Services and Veterans Services.
The senator-elect is married to Indian-American psychiatrist Sara Dzukaku and they have two daughters.
Start with the world of politics
He campaigned on expanding access to health care and challenging corporate influence, but lost the Democratic primary to Gretchen Whitmer before winning the governor’s race.
Despite the loss, the campaign helped El-Sayed establish himself as a prominent voice in Michigan politics.
political position
El-Sayed has advocated universal health care, lower living costs and a foreign policy that prioritizes domestic needs over military intervention abroad.
Affordability is a central issue in the doctors’ campaign, which argues that access to health care should not depend on a person’s income or employment status.
El-Sayed also highlighted the rising prices of food and fuel, criticizing the influence of corporations on the economy and arguing that working families are struggling to afford daily necessities.
Regarding foreign policy, Mr. El-Sayed is a vocal critic of U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, opposes the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, and calls for an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
El-Sayed blamed the Iran war, which he described as “stupid”, for soaring gas prices and inflation, and accused the Trump administration of starting an unwarranted conflict.
He also accused the Israeli government of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip and argued that U.S. taxpayer money should be directed to education, health care and child care instead.
“If you believe that Palestinian children should grow up on their ancestral land without being killed with our taxes, they tried to call you a hater,” he said after declaring victory. “If you believe in equal rights to peace, dignity and self-determination, it is love, not hate.”
The Michigan-based politician also criticized President Trump’s trade war with Canada, arguing that the state’s economy, which has close ties to its neighbor to the north, has been hurt by tariffs.
senate campaign
In August, Mr. El-Sayed defeated U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary, a major victory for progressives but a setback for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which had openly supported his opponents.
Despite initially pledging to support El-Sayed in the November election, Mr. Stevens endorsed Mr. Rogers just days before the vote, prompting widespread criticism.
More than $50 million was spent during the primary campaign, including at least $30 million that AIPAC supported Stevens.
Like his failed gubernatorial bid, his campaign focused on tackling the rising cost of living, expanding access to health care, and reducing corporate influence in Washington.
His campaign also faced Islamophobic attacks and accusations of anti-Semitism.
After his preliminary victory, far-right commentators used his use of the Arabic expression “inshallah,” meaning “God’s will,” to paint him as a religious threat to the United States.
Trump accused El-Sayed of hating Jews and Israel, while his Republican opponent, Rogers, claimed El-Sayed had sympathies and ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
In his last televised debate in October, Mr. Rogers suggested that Mr. El-Sayed had the same supporters as groups like Hamas and implied that his platform was a threat to “national security.” Mr El-Sayed vehemently denied the allegations.
On Wednesday, he hit back at those who tried to use his faith and ethnicity as weapons against him.
“We don’t want our money going to apartheid, genocide and war,” El-Sayed said. In the past, he said, his camp had used “inshallah” to emphasize its hope for victory. “But today, tonight, we can turn that inshallah into alhamdulillah (praise be to God).”
