Republicans took turns taking jabs at Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed while campaigning with Vice President JD Vance in Sterling Heights Monday. The event was put on by the President Donald Trump-centered political action committee MAGA Inc.
This election cycle, Republicans are making a point of painting Democrats as too radical and extreme.
No Michigan Democrat running for statewide office, and only Congressional candidates U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI 12) and state Rep. Donovan McKinney (D-Detroit), have received endorsements from the Democratic Socialists of America. But that hasn't stopped Republicans from attacking other Democrats with accusations of socialist leanings as the faction has gained a louder voice within the party.
Attacks against El-Sayed have focused on his political association with California-based streamer Hasan Piker, calls to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, and support from progressives like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“This guy is a goldmine of content," Vance said of El-Sayed. "But, unfortunately, it’s a goldmine of content of him fighting against the interests of the people in this room and fighting for the most terrible ideas, and terrible policies, and the craziest ideas out there.”
El-Sayed has distanced himself from Piker in recent weeks, reiterating that “nobody speaks for this campaign besides me and my campaign spokespeople,” in a press release. He’s frequently dismissed discussions about Piker as a distraction from important issues.
Vance and El-Sayed have traded barbs over the past few weeks. On Monday, Vance brought up comments El-Sayed has since apologized for regarding an attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.
At the time, El-Sayed said “hurt people do hurt people” while condemning the attack. Authorities allege the attack was a Hezbollah inspired terrorist plot after Israel killed several of the attacker’s family members in an airstrike in Lebanon.
Vance sought to make El-Sayed a deeply divisive figure.
“There is something about Abdul El-Sayed that is very, very evil and on the rise in the United States of America today,” Vance said. “It's people who see themselves, not as citizens of a common nation fighting for every single person, whether they're Jewish or Christian, whether they're white or Black or Brown, but see themselves as fighting for one group at the expense of others."
El-Sayed is Arab American and Muslim. He has often repeated that he cares about the safety of the Jewish community as much as he does for his own children.
Regardless, that’s a tension Republicans are looking to gain voters from. Vance said a rabbi and security guard from Temple Israel were in attendance Monday. El-Sayed’s Republican opponent, Mike Rogers, is promoting an open letter from some members of Michigan's Jewish community criticizing El-Sayed.
In response to the Vance’s remarks, El-Sayed countered Monday with his own definition of “evil.”
“Evil is ripping healthcare away from working people in exchange for tax breaks for billionaires. Evil is making people pay more for groceries and gas while pushing for trade wars and actual war. Evil is dividing people for your own gain. Evil is selling out your morals for a little bit of power.
“Michigan is better than being lectured to by sock puppets from Ohio and Florida. We understand what’s at stake, and Michiganders will show you at the ballot box this November when we send Mike Rogers packing,” El-Sayed said in a press release.
While speaking Monday, Rogers said he would help secure elections, make Michigan safer, and take on a host of cultural issues if elected.
“We’re going to make sure that we bring costs down, we’re going to pass the SAVE Act, we’re going to get trans flags out of our classrooms and American flags back in. We’re going to keep our borders secure and fentanyl off of our streets,” Rogers said.
El-Sayed has said the Trump administration is hurting the country and raising costs by starting foreign wars and trade wars with allies, and that its border policies are making the country less safe.
Neither Vance or Rogers mentioned America’s trade war with Canada or this week’s missile exchange with Iran during his speech. Both issues could weigh on voters in November. The most recent University of Michigan consumer sentiment polling has shown Americans are down on the economy across the political spectrum.
Yet, the messaging seemed to land well with the crowd of a few hundred people. After the event, many attendees said they were happy with what they heard from Vance and the others.
Some of their top issues included trade deals, border security, and fears over socialism and communism.
Rielle Chase is a retiree and military mom from Shelby Township. She said she wanted the U.S. to come first in policies.
“We need to start thinking about ourselves, stop worrying about the entire world. I think we have to invest in America, stop shipping money overseas, stop shipping resources overseas,” Chase said.
However, Chase also said she understood why the U.S. was involved in Iran. She said she was content with online federal resources to learn more about what’s happening abroad and didn’t need to hear Vance directly address it Monday.
Rather, Vance talked about new federal efforts to ensure truckers are licensed and can speak English. Earlier in the day, federal officials announced a crackdown on fraudulent commercial driver’s license schools between the U.S. departments of Transportation, Justice, and Homeland Security.
Vance tied the issue to claims undocumented immigrants are taking American jobs. He said the new campaign will help keep trucking jobs and roads safe for Michiganders.
“I don’t know about you, but with my kids driving around, I don’t want a person who can’t even read the road signs to have a CDL in the United States of America. It’s basic common sense,” Vance said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also spoke at the rally.
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