Abdul El‑Sayed embraces his faith in new ad as Obama rallies for him
politicsOct 25, 202621700
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed released a 30-second ad late Monday that directly embraces his Muslim faith, opening with "My name is Abdul" and saying "I pray every day" while linking his faith to Michiganders struggling with rising costs. The ad comes as President Donald Trump and others have stepped up Islamophobic attacks, with Trump calling El-Sayed "a jihadist" and using his middle name Mohamed, and Republican opponent Mike Rogers repeatedly trying to tie El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed framed those attacks as distractions from economic issues at the pump, grocery store, and doctor’s office and declined to hide his identity to appease critics. Former president Barack Obama campaigned with El-Sayed in Detroit, speaking to boost turnout and to shore up Black voters in a Senate contest that could hinge on the city. Obama sharply criticized Trump’s ‘‘chaos and cruelty’’ while appearing alongside El-Sayed and Michigan Democrats, aiming to mobilize voters with two weeks remaining before Election Day.
