Washington, October 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US Vice President JD Vance and senior Republican leaders have intensified their attacks on Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, questioning his patriotism and accusing him of ideological extremism at a campaign rally in Monroe, Michigan.
Vance attended the rally to campaign for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Republican speakers used the event to portray El-Sayed’s progressive politics and positions on the Middle East as a threat to American values, while making allegations about his political associations and public statements.
Rogers, a former FBI agent and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, accused El-Sayed of concealing alleged connections to the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also questioned El-Sayed’s past involvement with Muslim student organisations and referred to a letter the Democratic candidate allegedly signed in 2012 concerning political developments in Egypt.
“He is the most extreme, dangerous candidate to ever run for the United States Senate in the history of our country and we have to stop him right here in Michigan,” Rogers told supporters.
The allegations made at the rally were not independently substantiated in the available account.
Vance accused El-Sayed of prioritising the Israel-Palestine conflict over issues affecting Michigan residents. Referring to the candidate’s interest in Gaza, he said El-Sayed was “ten times more interested in what’s happening in Palestine than in Port Huron”.
The Vice President also challenged El-Sayed’s account of his background, alleging that the Michigan-born candidate had previously described himself as an immigrant from North Africa and claimed Egyptian citizenship.
Vance further referred to an attack on a Jewish institution in Michigan, alleging that El-Sayed’s response showed greater sympathy for the perpetrator than for the victims. He cited remarks attributed to the Democrat but did not provide their full context during the rally.
Congresswoman Lisa McClain, chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, joined the criticism, accusing El-Sayed of embracing communist ideology and attacking his positions on immigration, healthcare and public spending.
Republican speakers repeatedly sought to link El-Sayed to broader progressive Democratic positions on policing, immigration and government expenditure. Vance framed the Senate contest as a test of whether Michigan voters would support a candidate associated with the party’s progressive wing.
El-Sayed, a physician and former public health official, has been associated with progressive Democratic politics. Rogers previously served in the US House of Representatives and chaired its Intelligence Committee.
Michigan remains a politically competitive state, and its substantial Arab-American and Muslim-American communities, particularly in the Detroit metropolitan area, have made US policy towards the Middle East a significant issue in electoral debates.
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