El-Sayed Rejects Trump's Islamophobic Attacks

The Michigan Democrat, who won a Senate seat, pushed back on prominent Republicans' remarks about his Muslim faith during an appearance on The View.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Islam

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a simplified red domed capitol silhouette on a cream field, evoking national political debate. — Vice President JD Vance and Sen. Ted Cruz joined President Trump in attacking Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's Muslim faith, which El-Sayed rejected on The View. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Democrat Abdul El-Sayed appeared on The View and rejected attacks from Donald Trump and Republican politicians targeting his Muslim faith. El-Sayed, 42, defeated Republican Mike Rogers to become the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan.

Why it matters

The attacks drew on the September 11 terrorist attacks and labels such as 'jihadist,' raising questions about how religion is used in national campaign rhetoric. El-Sayed's victory marks a first for Muslim representation in the U.S. Senate.

El-Sayed, 42, defeated Republican Mike Rogers in the Michigan Senate election two days before his appearance on The View. The extraction does not provide vote totals or polling comparisons.

The players

Abdul El-Sayed

A Democrat who won the Michigan U.S. Senate seat and became the first Muslim elected to the Senate.

Donald Trump

The current President of the United States, who called El-Sayed a 'jihadist' and invoked the September 11 attacks while urging voters to reject him.

JD Vance

The Vice President of the United States, who said there was something 'very, very evil' about El-Sayed.

Ted Cruz

A Republican U.S. senator from Texas who called El-Sayed a 'jihadist leprechaun.'

The details

Sunny Hostin walked El-Sayed through incendiary remarks by prominent Republicans during the interview. Vice President JD Vance said there was something 'very, very evil' about him, Sen. Ted Cruz called him a 'jihadist leprechaun,' and Trump called him a 'jihadist' at an October rally in Michigan, saying he would have to pass a metal detector before entering the Senate. El-Sayed responded by offering to take a metal detector test and proposing a lie detector test for Trump.

• October 2026: Trump calls El-Sayed a 'jihadist' at a Michigan campaign rally.
• November 3, 2026: El-Sayed wins the Michigan Senate election.
• November 5, 2026: El-Sayed appears on The View and rejects the attacks.

Historical Context

Attacks on Muslim candidates invoking the September 11 attacks have recurred in U.S. politics since 2001. El-Sayed's election as the first Muslim senator from Michigan marks a new milestone against that backdrop.

Voters in Michigan now have a Senate representative who is the first Muslim elected to the chamber from the state. The extraction does not establish specific policy consequences beyond the election outcome.

The takeaway

The exchange shows how religious identity remains a contested issue in American campaigns, and how candidates respond directly to attacks on their faith.