At Ohio rally, GOP’s Moreno targets Sayed with religious test even many Republicans may not pass

Moreno’s remarks at rally

At a Wednesday night rally, Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno said El-Sayed should be nowhere near Washington and questioned whether he understood that rights come from God and Jesus came for humanity’s salvation. Moreno also said Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers would defeat him.

The rally was aimed at Ohio voters, who cannot vote in Michigan’s Senate contest. Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, is Hindu.

Constitution bars religious tests

Article VI, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution says no religious test may be required as a qualification for federal office or public trust. Moreno swore to support and defend the Constitution when he became a senator.

The article notes that roughly one in three Americans are not Christians. Jewish Republicans serve in Congress and the White House Cabinet, and may reject Moreno’s statement about Jesus.

Republican attacks on El-Sayed

The article describes increasingly harsh Republican rhetoric against El-Sayed as Election Day approaches. Donald Trump called him a “jihadist” and said he should not serve in the Senate, while Sen. John Kennedy said El-Sayed “sleeps in a bin Laden jersey.”

Sen. Ted Cruz said Americans could die if El-Sayed joined the Senate Intelligence Committee. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also campaigned in Michigan and criticized the scientific and literary accomplishments of Arab Muslims.

Questions for the party

The article argues that political parties may try to influence Michigan’s race, but asks how many Republicans share Moreno’s suggestion that religious minorities should be excluded from Senate service. It also points to a contradiction between Moreno’s remarks and the Ohio Republican ticket’s inclusion of Ramaswamy, a Hindu candidate for governor.