Bishara Bahbah rebukes Trump as El-Sayed rejects extremist ties
Donald Trump called Abdul El-Sayed a “jihadist” who was “on the side of the terrorists” at a Michigan rally Sunday and questioned the U.S. Senate candidate’s loyalty to the United States. Trump said El-Sayed, a former Detroit health official, would “have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate.”
Trump repeatedly invoked 9/11 during the rally for Republican Michigan Senate candidate Mike Rogers. According to AP, he compared preventing El-Sayed from entering the Senate chamber with the passengers who fought back against the hijackers aboard United Flight 93.
El-Sayed, who would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected, called attacks on his loyalty “shameful” and repeatedly denied any ties to extremist groups.
The remarks drew a sharp rebuke from Bishara Bahbah, a founder of Arab Americans for Trump whom The Guardian described as a former top Arab American ally of the president. The group helped lead Trump’s outreach to Arab American voters in 2024. Bahbah said in a phone interview, “The president’s statements are out of line,” and added, “They are crossing a red line. They are racist.”
El-Sayed, who would become the nation’s first Muslim senator if elected, denied any ties to extremist groups after Trump called him a “jihadist” and said he was “on the side of the terrorists.” Bahbah said the statements crossed a red line and were racist.
Trump’s other remarks at the Rogers rally
At the same rally, Trump reiterated his apparent love for “buxom bums” and urged the crowd to compliment rapper Nicki Minaj’s behind while explaining a recent observation about Republican Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s rear end. Husted is a former college football player. Earlier in October, after describing an examination of Husted’s body, Trump said, “I don’t do this with men very often. I started examining his body, because I didn’t know he was a great athlete.” He described Husted’s hands as clawed, told Husted, “You are a great athlete,” and added, “Congratulations.”
Alaska Senate race: Peltola crash and Justice Department certification suit
The live blog also reported that Mary Peltola, a Democrat running for Alaska’s lone U.S. Senate seat, and her family suffered minor injuries in a car crash Saturday while driving to a campaign stop. Peltola’s campaign said in a statement on Sunday that the family was headed to the Alaska Federation of Natives annual banquet when another vehicle crashed into the car carrying them; Peltola required medical attention.
In a Sunday interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Todd Blanche, described by The Guardian as Trump’s attorney general, defended the Justice Department’s pre-emptive lawsuit to block certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate results if the Republican incumbent loses. He called a television host’s question “crazy.” The suit alleges there could be “voter confusion” because two candidates named Dan Sullivan are on Alaska’s ballot. Trump told reporters, “I’m the one that said do it,” when asked about the suit.
SpaceX gains access to restricted military tracking data
The U.S. military has given Elon Musk’s SpaceX access to restricted space tracking data, according to the live blog. The access raises questions about whether the Trump administration is attempting to hand over traffic control in Earth’s orbit to Musk. Industry observers said the access also raises new national security questions.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program enrollment falls 13%
Enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program also declined significantly over the past year after restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, stakeholders said. The restrictions forced more people to seek help from food banks or go hungry, the stakeholders said. The number of people receiving food stamps fell from 41.6 million in July 2025, before the One Big Beautiful Act took effect, to 36.5 million in June 2026, a 13% decrease, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program.