Sayed responds after Vance calls him a weasel amid attacks over faith and family

Vance’s attack and El-Sayed’s reply

Vance criticized El-Sayed at a campaign event, saying he wanted to use taxpayers’ money to address “ancient grievances” and urging voters to reject him on November the third. The remarks followed a Truth Social video in which President Trump called El-Sayed a “Muslim radical” and a “Muslim Brotherhood Member.” The article reports no evidence for either accusation. El-Sayed said Vance’s comments were meant “to raise questions about my commitment to America.” He responded that trips to Egypt had given him a “front-row seat” to what his life might have been like had he not been born in the United States.

Claims and family history

El-Sayed has denied ties to the organization and said the attacks target his Muslim faith. He said he was raised in Michigan by his father and stepmother after his parents divorced, did not see his mother for years, and never discussed her activism in the 1970s with her.

Campaign rhetoric grows sharper

At a Thursday campaign stop in Iron Mountain, El-Sayed warned that the contest could become “one of the ugliest campaigns in modern history.” Islamophobic language has increased in recent weeks, including signs calling him a terrorist at a protest of his event last weekend. The Rogers campaign condemned the appearance of far-right instigator Jake Lang and said it had no affiliation with him.

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana joked that El-Sayed “sleeps in a Bin Laden jersey.” Asked whether he believed El-Sayed was a terrorist, Rogers told CBS News, “Look at the data. It’s pretty clear.” Rogers also said people should be free to pray as they choose, while arguing that the campaign was about ideology.

Voters and Michigan’s regional divide

The Upper Peninsula accounts for 3% of Michigan’s population, and Republicans have easily won the area since 2016. Trump carried all but one of its 15 counties in 2024. At events, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Republican ads and mailers, saying they sought to create a “caricature” of El-Sayed before voters heard him.

Rogers has also sought support in Detroit-area communities, including Jewish and Black voters. El-Sayed’s campaign has cited his conversations with Jewish residents and backing from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Sen. Elissa Slotkin. Rogers has appeared at churches and held closed-door conversations in Detroit, saying his education and housing plans can build a “whole new coalition.”