Trump calls Democrat ‘Jihadist lunatic’ in Friday social media post
In Thursday evening’s televised debate, Rogers questioned whether someone in El-Sayed’s Muslim family might be on a “watchlist,” repeatedly suggesting his Democratic opponent and his family had ties to terrorist organisations. El-Sayed called Rogers “a sock puppet for the Trump administration” and questioned whether his opponent was even from Michigan, labelling him “a Florida man” with yachts and a mansion in the Sunshine State; Rogers denied the Florida ties and boat ownership. At one point El-Sayed said of Rogers: “Weak, cowardly, won’t stand up until his poll numbers drop.” The economy, immigration and support for Israel were topics that came up as expected during the debate, but personal barbs dominated. Moderator Rick Albin said the barbs continued off camera, spilling into the commercial break — something Albin said he has never seen in 30 years of doing debates. The Michigan race could affect which party controls the US Senate after November’s midterm elections, as Democrats campaign to take both chambers from Republicans.
The sharpest exchange came during a discussion of Flock cameras, an AI-powered surveillance system that El-Sayed said should be federally regulated. “And why would that bother you?” Rogers shot back. “Well, if you have someone in your family that might be on the watchlist.” El-Sayed challenged Rogers to “go ahead and say it,” adding: “Are you going after my mom?” El-Sayed’s mother, Fatten Elkomy, previously worked as a nurse practitioner for the Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA), according to the Midwesterner, a conservative regional news outlet. The US Treasury Department designated IARA in 2004 for supporting terrorism; the US Justice Department charged figures within the agency in 2007 with illegal wire transfers to Iraq. Elkomy was not among those indicted and she left the agency in 2004. The BBC said it had contacted El-Sayed’s campaign and Elkomy for comment. A Bridge Michigan fact-check found no evidence that El-Sayed is personally connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, branches of which the US has designated as terrorist organisations.
On Friday morning, Trump posted on social media: “Mohammad is a Jihadist lunatic who hates our Country.” Some questioned why Trump chose to refer to El-Sayed as Mohammad — his full name is Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, but he has been known as Abdul since kindergarten, according to the Detroit News.
Quardricos Driskell, a political science professor at George Washington University, told the BBC the debate underscored how anti-Muslim sentiment is becoming increasingly normalised at the highest level of US politics. Driskell pointed to the period after the September 11, 2001 attacks as a time when there was similar rhetoric, but noted a difference in presidential leadership: in the wake of the attacks, then-President George W Bush stood in front of a mosque and said: “Islam is peace.” Driskell said: “Islamophobia has long existed, I think across American political society from both parties.” He added: “What distinguishes the current moment is that the explicit use of Muslim identity as a political attack is by prominent Republican leaders.”
Trump’s social media post followed other anti-Muslim remarks from elected officials, the BBC reported. Tennessee Republican congressman Andy Ogles posted anti-Muslim remarks on X earlier this year. After Zohran Mamdani was elected as the first Muslim mayor of New York City, Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace wrote on X: “After 9/11 we said ‘Never Forget.’ I think we sadly have forgotten.” Gregg Nunziata, a Republican policy adviser, told the BBC these types of comments were “extremely destructive and deeply alarming.” He also noted the absence of condemnation for these remarks, saying it is “the responsibility of leaders to tamp down that type of rhetoric and police their own side and that’s not happening today.”
The Pew Research Center has documented a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment across the US. In 2002, 25 per cent of adults said Islam “is more likely” to encourage violence than other religions; by 2026, that share had risen to 51 per cent. The shift comes amid a documented rise in hatred in the US more broadly, including antisemitism.
Haris Tarin, vice-president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, told the BBC Trump’s Friday post made him feel “sick.” The council had tracked an eight-fold increase in anti-Muslim speech over the past year, Tarin said, adding: “This rise has coincided with elections, and it has allowed for candidates who oppose American Muslims licence to openly attack their faith.” Driskell said such attacks often exploit voters’ fears. “We have to keep in mind the motivating factor often in politics, and particularly during campaigning, which is fear,” he said. “That’s what ultimately Islamophobia is — the fear,” he continued, “instilling fear that people get out and vote.”