Trump calls Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed a "jihadist" and jokes about a "special metal detector" at final midterm rallies (Nov. 1, 2026)

Case

At rallies in Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas, on Nov. 1, 2026, two days before the midterms, Trump repeated that Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed is a "jihadist" and joked that Congress would need a "special metal detector" for him. Al Jazeera reported his related claim that El-Sayed belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood is unfounded, and Democrats have called such remarks Islamophobic. Quotes are ready for the author to consider moving into the dehumanizing-statements hub.

What Trump said (Nov. 1, 2026)
At a Nov. 1, 2026 rally in Dubuque, Iowa, Trump said of Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed: "We don't want to have a jihadist," then added, "We're going to have to get a special metal detector for Abdul." (Straight Arrow News transcription.)
Al Jazeera reported that Trump repeated the "jihadist" label and the metal-detector joke at both Nov. 1 rallies (Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas), drawing laughter.
Euronews likewise reported Trump branded El-Sayed a "jihadist" and said, "Can you imagine, we'll have to put him through metal detectors."
Al Jazeera reported that Trump's claim that El-Sayed belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood was unfounded; Bridge Michigan reported the same of the Oct. 25 Port Huron rally, noting El-Sayed has publicly disavowed the group.
The same "jihadist" line was used at Trump's Oct. 25 Port Huron, Mich., rally, where Democrats called the accusations racist and Islamophobic, according to Bridge Michigan.
At the Dubuque rally Trump also said he would welcome Rep. Haley Stevens, who endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent Mike Rogers, to the Republican Party; Stevens said El-Sayed had made clear she was not welcome in his campaign.

Perspectives

Defender — Trump and Republican allies
Trump and Republicans frame the attacks as legitimate criticism of El-Sayed's politics and associations, citing, for example, 2010 tweets by his half-sister about family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, as Bridge Michigan notes Republicans have done. Trump presented the metal-detector line as a joke at a rally, where he also urged supporters to vote and to "pretend I'm on the ballot."

Critic — Michigan Democrats; Al Jazeera's characterization
Democrats have called the accusations racist and Islamophobic, and Al Jazeera described the rally rhetoric as Islamophobic and conspiratorial (the outlet's own characterization). Bridge Michigan reported there is no evidence El-Sayed is a Muslim Brotherhood member and that he has publicly disavowed the group.

Note
Trump and allies present the attacks as criticism of El-Sayed's politics and associations; critics and Al Jazeera say the Muslim Brotherhood claim is unfounded and the remarks target his faith.

Sources
[1] Straight Arrow News — Trump calls El-Sayed 'jihadist,' praises Stevens endorsement at Iowa rally (https://san.com/cc/trump-calls-el-sayed-jihadist-praises-stevens-endorsement-at-iowa-rally/) · 2026-11-02
[2] Al Jazeera — Trump leans into Islamophobia and conspiracy in last-ditch campaign rallies (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/2/trump-leans-into-islamophobia-and-conspiracy-in-last-ditch-campaign-rallies) · 2026-11-02
[3] Euronews — Trump rallies in Iowa and Kansas in final push as Democratic divisions shake up Michigan (https://www.euronews.com/2026/11/02/trump-wraps-up-campaign-rallies-in-final-push-as-democratic-divisions-shake-up-michigan) · 2026-11-02
[4] Bridge Michigan — Fact checks, takeaways from Trump's Port Huron rally (Oct. 25) (https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/fact-checks-takeaways-donald-trump-rips-dems-downplays-gas-prices-in-michigan/) · 2026-10-26

Connections

Same actor — Trump's documented degrading and dehumanizing statements about people (hub)
Dated quotes from Trump's Nov. 1 rallies, ready for the author to consider adding to the hub.