El-Sayed fires back at Trump's family comparison, says POTUS and Melania 'don't like each other'

WASHINGTON, DC: Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed on Sunday, August 9, responded to President Donald Trump’s Truth Social post featuring a side-by-side image of Trump and first lady Melania Trump alongside El-Sayed and his wife, Dr Sarah Jukaku.

Trump shared the image on Truth Social on Saturday, August 8, with the caption, “Two very different America’s,” prompting a sharp response from El-Sayed during an appearance on CNN’s 'State of the Union'. El-Sayed said he and his wife “like each other” before questioning the relationship between Trump and the first lady.

Abdul El-Sayed responds to Trump post

When asked about Trump’s post by host Jake Tapper, El-Sayed said, “Actually, Sarah and I like each other.”

He then addressed the president and first lady, saying, “I don’t know about the first lady and the president, but, from what I have heard, it’s a bit of a rocky road.”

El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat and former public health official, also said he agreed with Trump's characterization that the two families represented different visions of America. 

“Yeah, he’s right, you’ve got two different visions of America, one in which your overlords are two people who don’t like each other but join in the interest of making billions of dollars off of you,” he said.

“Or two people who genuinely love each other, enjoyed some pancakes together, want to come together to build the kind of America where they can raise a family, and know that that family is going to have the good things,” he continued.

Trump and Melania Trump have been married since 2005 and have a son together, Barron Trump.

El-Sayed and Jukaku, both physicians, have been married since 2006 after meeting as students at the University of Michigan. They have two daughters.

Trump and Abdul El-Sayed feud intensifies

The exchange comes amid an increasingly contentious political contest between Trump and El-Sayed following the Democrat’s victory in Michigan’s Senate primary.

El-Sayed narrowly defeated Democratic Rep Haley Stevens and is set to face Republican Mike Rogers in November.

Trump has repeatedly criticized El-Sayed since his primary victory. During a campaign-style speech in Las Vegas on Wednesday, August 5, Trump described him as part of a group of “communists” and criticized his views on Israel. “When I watch Abdul, he's full of s**t,” Trump said.

Trump also accused El-Sayed of hostility toward Israel and Jewish people. "Put him in office, you're going to find out what he loves. He doesn't love Israel. He doesn't love Jewish people. He hates them,” he said.

El-Sayed has rejected those accusations.

In his primary victory speech, he addressed Jewish supporters and said, “To all of my sisters and brothers of the Jewish faith, or any faith at all, or no faith at all, I want you to know that my commitment to your safety, my commitment to Jewish safety, is the same commitment that I have to the safety of my own daughters.”

If elected in November, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim senator in US history.