We'd thought that the frequency of anti-Muslim attacks had stayed relatively constant, if indeed we're talking about attacks on a specific Muslim — Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. NBC News, though, reports that the anti-Muslim attacks have become increasingly frequent "as this heated race reaches the finish line." Attacks on his opponent, Mike Rogers, being a puppet of AIPAC have also become increasingly frequent, as have calls from other Democrats for El-Sayed to disavow Cenk Uygur's antisemitic ad featuring a couple bemoaning the price of eggs being so high that the government can kill more Palestinian children. Credit to NBC News for, unlike Rolling Stone, being able to distinguish between anti-Muslim and racist.
Anti-Muslim attacks on Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed have become increasingly frequent as this heated race reaches the finish line. https://t.co/HlHbnkj8wq
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 31, 2026
Allan Smith and Henry J. Gomez report:
[Sen. Ted] Cruz described El-Sayed — who, if elected, would be the first Muslim senator — as “a theocratic zealot” and “jihadist leprechaun” whose election would put American service members at risk because, if presented with national secrets, he was likely to share them with terrorist groups. Cruz, like other Republicans, sought to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, a group the Democrat has condemned.
With the election just days away, Cruz’s message has become a staple of the anti-El-Sayed messaging, with Republicans leaning into the theme in advertising and at campaign events. They’ve been echoed by some voters.
But the attacks have been most intense at the very top. Trump, who has falsely labeled him a “jihadist,” just this week said the Michigan Democrat would “have to go through a metal detector” to enter the Senate floor. Vance has not gone that far but has raised questions about El-Sayed’s allegiances.
"A group the Democrat has condemned." Maybe El-Sayed should put more energy into publicly condemning the Muslim Brotherhood and less into rants about Pete Hegseth's parents supporting him at basketball games.
@NBCNews No one is attacking him for being Muslim. He is being criticized for being racist against Israelis and Jews
— SJP_hates_peace (@SJPidiots) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Being criticized for being antisemitic and having ties to a designated terrorist organization in multiple counties isn’t “anti-Muslim,” unless @NBCNews is themselves being racist and claiming that all Muslims hate Jews and are terrorists….
— Rachel (@rachelbsol18) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews If it’s anti-Muslim to criticize his lack of condemnation of the Muslim radicals that either directly participate in, or sponsor terrorism then count me in.
— Michael James (@MichaelPlaysGit) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews His entire family has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. I’ll pass.
— DoritoJones 🇺🇸 (@DoritojonesMike) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews There is literally nothing wrong with being against the Muslim Brotherhood. They are the ENEMY of the United States and our Constitution. These ads of yours are being funded by the Muslim Brotherhood and you aren’t fooling anyone but the most stupid of society.
— Gilo (@_Gilo1) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews I've heard people question his association with the Muslim Brotherhood, I've heard people comment on his anti-Semitism. I haven't heard anyone his being Muslim except the question of how much of a terror sympathizer he is and where his sympathies lay.
— Son of the Demon Queen (@DemonQueensSon) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews It’s not that he’s Muslim. It’s that he has an obvious simmering rage against Jewish people and that’s not good in any elected official—especially a U.S. senator.
— Maximus Truth (@TomAllmann) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews He hates America and he hates Israel.
— 🇺🇸 San Diego Sun (@xAi1776) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews That’s because he is an apologist for Islamofascists.
— Robert McAvoy (@mirdamcavoy) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Lifelong lefty here. Abdul’s mother worked for an organization indicted for funneling money to Al-Qaeda, and those circles are donating to him now. That’s a dealbreaker. Voting Rogers this time.
— Keys (@CitadelKeys) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Supporting terrorists is his problem. I thought reasonable Muslims didn’t support terrorism.
— JEThomas (@thomas_je43740) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Its not Anti-Muslim to call out his family's open support for terrorist organizations. Im sure the dinner conversation at the Al-Sayed table was only about how much they love America. 🙄🙄🙄
— AngryUnc (@AngryUnc716) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Why do you conflate opposing the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization banned in numerous Arab nations and to which El-Sayed is irrefutably linked, with opposing Muslims in general? Does your news organization really not know the difference?
— Phil Maipita (@TouchMyFalafels) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews This is the angle you’re running with? Not that he preferred digging in his heels to condemning antisemitism being used to support his campaign? Twisted.
— e_michael 🔵🇨🇿 (@e_michael1) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Is @NBC really attempting to guilt voters into supporting the openly antisemitic @AbdulElSayed for fear of being thought islamophobic?
— My Two Cents (@GloverBill91212) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews What a garbage headline. It’s not anti-Muslim attacks to point out that his family belongs to the Muslim brotherhood and he avoids answering the question, and he couldn’t say that Iran is a bigger threat to the US than Israel. He is an anti-American Islamist terrorist sympathizer
— Jack Ryan Jr (@LibsAlwaysLie) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Uhh, pointing out that his friends are actual islamofascist terrorists is hardly anti-muslim. The fake doctor is an enemy of the Republic. His supporters should be identified, rooted out, and expelled from our nation.
— Hasan Piker's Imam (@DieGrahamenGard) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews No, not anti-muslim. Anti-communist, anti-Hamas sympathizer, anti-Muslim Brotherhood supporter, anti-Hasan Piker buddies. That's what people are against.
— TheOpinant (@OpinantThe) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews Such bullshit. Telling the ugly truth about his connections to the Muslim Brotherhood is not bigoted. You should know & report that Islamophobia is a term made up to prevent criticism of Islam. You need to wake up & stop pushing your agenda on the American 🇺🇸 people !!
— Stu Boyar (@boyar_stu) October 31, 2026
@NBCNews He’s earned them.
— Mr Bad Example (@MrBadExample15) October 31, 2026
Our apologies if we'd like him to disavow the Muslim Brotherhood just a little bit more clearly, as just reading on NBC News that he did isn't really proof enough.
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