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Trump attacks Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed over his Muslim faith at a Michigan rally

At a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday Donald Trump called Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a 'jihadist' and compared voting against him to the Flight 93 passengers on 9/11. El-Sayed, who would be the first Muslim US senator, faces Republican Mike Rogers in a close race on 3 November.

L 52% · C 11% · R 37% · 27 outlets

Left 1 · Centre-left 13 · Centre 3 · Centre-right 4 · Right 6

ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Left-leaning outlets

Anti-Muslim rhetoric: 'Trump leans into Islamophobic rhetoric at Michigan rally' (NBC); Arab Americans rebuke him (AP).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Trump invokes 9/11 in urging Michigan voters to oppose Muslim Senate candidate El-Sayed” (Reuters); “Nicki Minaj joins Trump onstage at Michigan rally” (BBC News).

Right-leaning outlets

El-Sayed's record and associations: 'The Dangerous Liberal Fantasy Of Abdul El-Sayed And The Muslim Brotherhood' (Daily Wire); Trump 'Rips El-Sayed Over Extremism Claims' (Newsmax).

Context

The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.

Michigan's Senate seat is one of the closest races of the 3 November midterms.

  • The election is on 3 November 2026. Democratic incumbent Gary Peters is not running. It is the only open Democratic-held Senate seat in a state Trump won in 2024, and Republicans have not won a Michigan Senate race since 1994. 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan
  • Abdul El-Sayed, an epidemiologist and former Detroit health director, won the Democratic primary on 4 August with 48.5%. He supports Medicare for All and ending US military funding to Israel; if elected he would be the first Muslim US senator. Abdul El-Sayed
  • Republican Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent, chaired the House Intelligence Committee from 2011 to 2015 and narrowly lost the 2024 Michigan Senate race to Elissa Slotkin. Mike Rogers (Michigan politician)
  • Wikipedia describes it as the most expensive election in Michigan history, with over $243 million spent. 2026 United States Senate election in Michigan

Checked 2026-10-26. Links were opened and returned a page that day.

Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

Left 3

Centre 3

Right 3

Showing 3 from each side of 27 rated outlets (L 14 / C 3 / R 10). More coverage

Video

News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.

Left 1

Centre 1

Right 1

Showing 1 from each side that has one.

YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts

Deep dive

The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.

Seen from the left

“Trump invokes 9/11 in urging Michigan voters to oppose Muslim Senate candidate El-Sayed” CNBC

A possible reading: the 'jihadist' label is an attack on a candidate's religion rather than his record.

May be protecting: religious freedom and Muslim Americans' place in politics.

Seen from the right

“Trump Criticizes ‘Jihadist’ El-Sayed for Portraying Himself as Doctor: ‘He Should Not Be Allowed to Serve in Our Senate’” Breitbart

A possible reading: El-Sayed's positions on Israel and policing are out of step with Michigan voters, and the rally rhetoric reflects that contest.

May be protecting: national security and scrutiny of candidates' associations.

What they agree on

At a rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday Trump called Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed a 'jihadist' and likened voting against him to the passengers who fought back on Flight 93. El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in a close race on 3 November. Both sides treat Michigan as a seat that could decide control of the Senate.

Where they truly differ

Whether El-Sayed has links to extremists (claimed by Trump and some right-leaning outlets) or whether the attacks are about his faith (his supporters and several left-leaning outlets). El-Sayed would be the first Muslim US senator.

The paradox

Both sides say the race is about who is fit to protect Americans.

Open questions

  • Which of El-Sayed's stated positions does each side's coverage quote directly?
  • How do Michigan's Arab-American and Muslim communities, and other voters, describe the race?
  • Shared ground: judge candidates on documented actions, with evidence put on the record.

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (22 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
HuffPostLeftHuffPost is owned by BuzzFeed, Inc., a publicly traded digital media company based in New York. In November 2020, BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost from Verizon Media Group, with Verizon becoming a minority shareholder. In February 2021, BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti took charge of the combined properties. source
Associated PressCentre-leftThe Associated Press (AP) is a nonprofit news cooperative with a profit of $1.6 million in 2016. It also sells content to other media organizations. According to an article titled “ AP reports loss on one-time accounting charges,” t he Associated Press lost $74 million in 2017, and it states the reason as “mostly due to one-time accounting charges related to the federal tax overhaul passed late last year.” source
BloombergCentre-leftMichael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source
CNBCCentre-leftCNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source
NBC NewsCentre-leftNo ownership data found
The GuardianCentre-leftThe Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source
The IndependentCentre-leftThe Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source
Times of IsraelCentre-leftThe Times of Israel is co-owned by David Horovitz and Seth Klarman. Revenue is generated through advertising..push({}); source
Washington PostCentre-leftIn 2013, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post for $250 million. Bezos is a frequent target of Trump, who has accused the businessman of using the Postal System as its “ Delivery Boy. ” The newspaper’s executive editor, Martin Baron, said Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon, is not involved in its news coverage. source
Ynet NewsCentre-leftYedioth Ahronoth owns Ynetnews. Advertising derives revenue. source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
ReutersCentreIn April 2008, the British company Reuters Group was acquired by Thomson Corporation and formed Thomson Reuters. source
The HillCentreIn 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source
CBS NewsCentre-rightCBS News is owned by Paramount Global, which was formerly controlled by National Amusements, Inc., the holding company of the Redstone family. In 2025, Paramount entered into a merger agreement with Skydance Media, effectively ending the Redstones’ majority control. CBS News generates revenue primarily through advertising and affiliate broadcasting fees..push({}); source
Jerusalem PostCentre-rightIn 1989, the paper was purchased by Hollinger Inc. for $17-million, which Canadian-born British Conservative Conrad Black owned. Conrad Black later was charged with “swindling his company, Hollinger International, of $60 million.” He was serving a prison sentence; however, in 2019, President Donald Trump pardoned him. source
NewsweekCentre-rightNewsweek is owned by Newsweek Publishing LLC, which is co-owned by Dev Pragad and Johnathan Davis. Newsweek is funded through a paid subscription and advertising model. source
Washington ExaminerCentre-rightThe Washington Examiner is owned by Clarity Media Group, owned by Philip Anschutz, an American billionaire entrepreneur who describes himself as a “conservative Christian.” Anschutz is also the owner of the right-leaning Weekly Standard and has donated millions of dollars to right-leaning causes, including anti-LGBT groups, such as the Family Research Council, which has been labeled a hate group. source
BreitbartRightAfter the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source
Daily MailRightThe Daily Mail is published by Associated Newspapers Limited, part of Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT). DMGT is controlled by the Rothermere family and is 100% owned by Rothermere Continuation Limited. Jonathan Harmsworth, 4th Viscount Rothermere, serves as Chairman..push({}); DMGT became privately owned after delisting from the London Stock Exchange in 2022. source
Daily WireRightBentkey Ventures, LLC (formerly Forward Publishing, LLC) owns the Daily Wire, which was heavily backed and co-founded by fossil fuel billionaires Farris and Dan Wilks. The platform generates revenue through a hybrid model combining premium digital subscriptions via DailyWire+, targeted advertising, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. source
National ReviewRightThe National Review magazine and website are both owned by the National Review Institute. William F. Buckley Jr. founded the National Review Institute as a nonprofit, and according to an article from The Nation, the “National Review‘s biggest financial supporter, Roger Milliken was a Birch Society member. source
NewsmaxRightNewsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source