Trump claims El-Sayed wants Sharia law, invokes 9/11 attacks at Michigan rally

Donald Trump accused Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed of Muslim Brotherhood links and demanded metal checks at a Michigan rally. El-Sayed rejected the allegations as the closely contested Senate race approached November.Trump alleges El-Sayed wants Sharia law. ( Photo- Reuters)President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, labelling him a “Jihadist Member of the Muslim Brotherhood”, comparing him to the September 11 attackers and demanding that he undergo metal detector screening if elected to the US Senate in November’s midterm elections.Speaking at a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Trump urged voters to support Republican candidate Mike Rogers, a former congressman, and accused Democrats of allowing violent anti-American extremists into the United States. El-Sayed has repeatedly denied having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.Trump invoked Todd Beamer, a Michigan native who helped fight back against hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11, 2001, attacks, drawing a comparison between the passengers’ resistance and the need to prevent El-Sayed from entering the US Capitol.“Twenty-five years later, Michigan needs to stand up and fight, just like Todd did, to stop a jihadist from walking into the Capitol,” Trump said. The US President also repeated his demand that El-Sayed be subjected to additional security screening if he wins the election.“He would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he's allowed to go in the Senate,” Trump said, adding that he wanted El-Sayed to undergo such screening. In a post on Truth Social ahead of the rally, Trump described El-Sayed as a “Jihadist Member of the Muslim Brotherhood” and claimed that the candidate wanted the United States to adopt Sharia law.“Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed wants our Country to go to Sharia Law. If it ever does, he should be the first that’s tried!” Trump wrote.Trump also accused El-Sayed’s family of having terrorist links, without providing evidence in the remarks cited, and questioned whether the candidate should have access to sensitive national security information if elected.El-Sayed has rejected suggestions that his religious beliefs or background would compromise his loyalty to the United States. At a recent town hall in Caro, Michigan, he was asked whether he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood.“You’re asking the question because implicitly you assume that I’ll have dual loyalties,” El-Sayed responded, adding that he would swear an oath to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.The Senate race has emerged as a key battleground ahead of the November midterm elections. A new Marist poll cited in reports placed El-Sayed ahead of Rogers, 50 per cent to 48 per cent, among likely Michigan voters.Former Democratic President Barack Obama campaigned for El-Sayed in Detroit on Saturday, urging supporters to back the candidate. Obama also criticised Trump's handling of the Iran war during a separate rally in Cleveland, Ohio, where he campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, who is running against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.Trump, meanwhile, highlighted his administration's record on the auto industry and Selfridge Air National Guard Base, claiming credit for industrial expansion and job creation in Michigan.- Ends