ALBAWABA — US President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday, suggesting the Democrat should undergo metal-detector screening before entering the Capitol if elected.
Speaking in Michigan nine days before the November 3 election, Trump claimed El-Sayed should not be allowed into the Senate and raised concerns about his potential access to sensitive national-security information, according to Al Jazeera’s account of the rally.
Trump repeated allegations linking the candidate to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed has denied any affiliation, and Reuters and The Associated Press have described Republican claims of such connections as unsubstantiated.
The president also made accusations involving El-Sayed’s relatives and organizations allegedly associated with them. The supplied account did not provide evidence establishing those allegations.
El-Sayed faces Trump-backed Republican Mike Rogers in the race to replace retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. If elected, he would become the first Muslim US senator.
The Democrat has previously called questions about his loyalty to the United States “shameful,” defending the constitutional right to religious freedom. That response preceded Sunday’s rally.
Trump’s appearance followed Barack Obama’s Saturday rally supporting El-Sayed in Detroit. Obama compared attacks on the candidate’s patriotism to the false claims about his own birthplace.
“We have seen this movie before,” Obama said. “I starred in it.”